The DeSoto County District Attorney’s Office is reminding the public that nobody is above the law, not even the police, with the arrest of a now-former Southaven cop.
On Wednesday, a grand jury in the north Mississippi county indicted Tony Herring, Jr., an ex-member of the Southaven Police Department, on conspiracy and felony auto theft charges. Herring is accused of committing the crimes while wearing the badge intended to signal that he was under oath to serve and protect the community.
According to newly elected District Attorney Matthew Barton, the former officer was arrested in Horn Lake shortly after the indictment was laid out. Herring is accused of stealing a 2019 Infiniti sedan, helping other thieves locate cars to steal, and serving as a “lookout” while automobiles were being stolen. These crimes allegedly occurred in late 2023 while Herring was an active member of the force.
Barton also announced that the indictment was the first handed down since his public corruption unit was installed. U.S. Marshals and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation assisted the DA’s office in prosecuting the former officer.
A colleague of Herring’s was also listed in the indictment, according to Barton. The individual’s identity has not been released by authorities at this time.
Herring is being held at the DeSoto County Detention Center.
