EUPORA, Miss.–Officer Keith Crenshaw was on his day off and just two days before had just met his brand new second grandchild. Wednesday his life was cut short when he volunteered to help try to catch three men who tried to rob a Eupora bank. The men’s car hit him on Hwy. 82 and he died. Now two of the three have been ID’d as Orlando, Fla. residents.
One of the perps was killed in the wreck that happened after they hit Crenshaw in the median. He’s the only one that has not been identified yet.
The other two are Frank Levon May, 33, and Brandon Johnson, 33, both from Florida. They were ID’d Thursday by the Miss. Bureau of Investigation.
May was seriously hurt in the crash and is in intensive care at a Tupelo hospital. Johnson is in jail in Grenada County.
Eupora Mayor Dan Burchfield told News Mississippi that bank employees noticed the men in the parking lot at 8 a.m. and locked the doors.
“They were noticed by a highway patrolmen in Montgomery County. They were traveling back to the Eupora area. Webster County deputies tried to stop them,” he said.
The incident happened at the intersection of highways 9 and 82.
“The suspects were able to see the spikes in the road and swerved into the median when they struck and fatally injured Officer Crenshaw.”
That’s when they crashed into a concrete barrier and light pole.
Burchfield said Crenshaw was 52 and was a long-time officer, on the force for 12 years and was well-known and well-liked in the community.
“The thing that set Keith apart was his service. He was always there to help, always willing to do what needed to be done.”
There’s Saturday visitation for Crenshaw at Oliver Funeral Home from 5 to 8 and the funeral is Sunday at the First Baptist Church of Eupora at 2.
