A grand jury elected not to press charges against officers involved in a deadly chase in March 2017.
Court and law enforcement officials confirmed to The Dispatch Wednesday that several law enforcement officers — including two Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office deputies — are not facing criminal charges for the death of 45-year-old Pryor Spencer Bailey IV, of Starkville, who died after exchanging gunfire with multiple law enforcement officers on March 27, 2017.
The incident began when Bailey did not pull over for a Mathiston police officer who tried to stop him for a suspected DUI. Bailey drove from Webster County to Lowndes County and almost into Alabama before he drove over spike strips laid by Lowndes County deputies, causing him to wreck the vehicle.
When Bailey exited the car, he and law enforcement at the scene began exchanging gunfire. Bailey was killed at the scene, according to Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant, and Lowndes County Deputy Kevin Forrester was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle with gunshot wounds.
Mississippi Bureau of Investigation handled the investigation into the shooting. The Attorney General’s Office presented the case to a Lowndes County grand jury.
Officials did not release the deputies’ names by press time.
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