Three Columbus Police Department officers are on administrative leave after a shooting Friday resulted in the death of a 26-year-old Columbus man.
Chief Tony Carleton said the officers — who he declined to identify — are on indefinite leave pending the results of investigations into the shooting death of Ricky Javonta Ball.
Ball was a passenger in a car police officers attempted to stop about 10 p.m. Friday near the intersection of 14th Avenue North and 21st Street North. A woman driving the car did not stop immediately and Ball jumped from the car and ran, according to Warren Strain, spokesperson with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.
Authorities have not said what happened next, whether Ball was armed or how many times he was shot. An autopsy is scheduled for this week. MBI is handling the investigation.
Carleton was one of a handful of Columbus officials, including Mayor Robert Smith, who took part in a press conference Monday morning at the Municipal Complex.
“In accordance with city policy, the city called the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation to investigate the events surrounding the shooting,” Smith said. ” MBI has sent investigators and the mobile crime scene unit. Evidence has been collected and will have to be processed.”
Carleton said his department will “go through the policies and check that the use of force was conducted in the manner in which it was written. He said the District Attorney’s office will undertake a comprehensive review of the officers involved in the shooting after MBI’s investigation.
Smith said Ball did not have identification on him at the time of the incident and authorities identified him later.
Carleton said a struggle occurred during the incident, but declined to provide further details.
Carleton would not comment on if the vehicle’s only other occupant, the female driver, was arrested, citing MBI’s ongoing investigation.
Columbus councilman Gene Taylor took part in the press conference and extended his sympathies to Ball’s family and those of the affected officers.
“We all are deeply in sorrow for what has happened here,” he said.
Councilman Kabir Karriem, like Taylor, offered his sympathies for the incident. He went on to urge for caution as officials await word from MBI’s investigation.
“Right now we ask that the community at this time be patient with us and let the process play out,” Karriem said. “We’re sure that once MBI makes their findings and run an internal investigation, the city will do all we can to make sure the investigation is transparent and the citizens find the information as we do.”
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.