IUKA, MISS– A hostage situation turned deadly in Tishomingo County. Now an officer, and the man they say shot him, is dead.
Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Agent Lee Tartt, 44, was killed in the line of duty Friday in Tishomingo County. Tartt was a 22-year law enforcement veteran and had been with MBN since September 2000. He was the 2011 MBN Agent of the Year and received the H. Lane Caldwell Award of Valor in 2012. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Here are the details, according to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety:
Approximately 5:15 p.m., Friday, February 19, Tishomingo County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a domestic situation at a residence at 231 CR 201. A man, his wife and 10-year-old daughter were in the house when deputies arrived. The situation escalated to a stand-off when the man refused to comply with officers’ instructions to come out of the residence. The Mississippi Highway Patrol (MHP) troopers and agents from Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics (MBN) responded at the request of the Tishomingo County Sheriff.
After nearly six hours and negotiations were exhausted, two combined tactical teams from MHP and MBN entered the home. Upon entry, shots were fired between the man and law enforcement officers and MBN Agent Lee Tartt and the male suspect were killed. Additionally, three state troopers who entered the home were wounded.
The suspect is identified as 45-year-old Charles Lee Lambert. The woman and 10-year-old girl were rescued safely. The high-powered rifle Lambert used was also recovered from inside the house.
MBI agents, Crime Scene technicians, members of the Criminal Reconstruction Unit, State Crime Lab forensic scientists and the State Medical Examiner are conducting an investigation of the incident.
The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Mississippi Department of Investigation were at a home in Iuka responding to a hostage situation, reports the Clarion Ledger.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety Spokesperson Warren Strain says a DPS officer was killed, and three others were hurt and sent to local area hospitals.
No names are being released at this time. News Mississippi is continuing to update this story.
Governor Bryant commented about the shooting this morning:
“Our men and women in law enforcement put themselves in harm’s way every hour of every shift. This is a tragic reminder that their willingness to serve can exact the highest price. Deborah and I ask all Mississippians to join us in praying for the family of the fallen officer. May God hold him in the hollow of His hand.”
