The dying words of one of the two officers shot in Hattiesburg, Miss., Saturday night May 10th, were heard by a citizen who came to his aid and they send chills down my spine (as I’ve personally heard them uttered to me many times, as I worked to save a person’s life). “Am I dying? I know I’m dying ” are words everyone surely hopes they will never hear someone say.
Reports from authorities stated that officers Benjamin Deen, 34 and Liquori Tate, 25 were shot during a routine traffic stop shortly before 8 p.m. near East Fourth and Boule streets in Hattiesburg. The Forrest County Coroner, Butch Benedict told local reporters that both officers were officially pronounced dead at Forrest General Hospital.
There have been three suspects arrested within hours of the shooting, brothers Curtis and Melvin Banks, and a 22-year-old woman Joanie Calloway. Police state that one of the brothers took one of the fallen officers’ patrol car and abandoned it near some train tracks a few blocks from the scene of the shooting.
Warren Smith, a spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety told the API that Marvin Banks, 29 and Calloway were each charged with two counts of capital murder while Curtis Banks was charged with two counts of accessory after the fact to capital murder.
The Times-Pacayune states that the last Hattiesburg officer slain in the line of duty was officer Jackie Dole Sherrill on New Year’s Eve in 1984.
Officer Benjamin Deen, left, and Officer Liquori Tate.
Whether these shootings are connected to the current racial upheaval we are seeing in our country today, is irrelevant. The killing needs to stop. People need to step back and rethink what is happening here. We the People are completely destroying the greatest Nation in the world, from the inside, out.
My condolences go out the to families involved in the tragic incident. No one should have to endure the pain and grief associated with one of their loved ones dying, even if that family knew the risks.
Here are some of the tweets that have been posted on Twitter;
Forrest County coroner Butch Benedict confirms to the Clarion-Ledger that both Hattiesburg officers had died. pic.twitter.com/g7JXNzjd8m
— Therese Apel (@TRex21) May 10, 2015
It’s with great sadness to say that one of our brothers with Hattiesburg PD was killed in the line of duty. Prayers for his family.
— Oxford Police Dept (@OxfordPolice) May 10, 2015
#Hattiesburg Mayor says it has been 30 years since an HPD officer was killed in line of duty. Says suspect is not safe and will be found
— Margaret Ann Morgan (@Margaret_AnnM) May 10, 2015
Mayor DuPree prepares to go live with @wdam @RyanMooreMS 4 latest on the HPD officers shot. Tune in @10 #Hattiesburg pic.twitter.com/6IBGr2w5qb
— Nick Ortego (@WDAMNickOrtego) May 10, 2015
CONDOLENCES: To the Hattiesburg Mississippi Police Department after the murder of two of their officers tonight. pic.twitter.com/r3ppCOaeJQ
— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) May 10, 2015
Patrick James has worked as a firefighter/EMT for several services throughout the years, as well as a custom metal fabricator, certified personal trainer and chef.
Growing up in the rural suburbs of Detroit, it was during his frequent trips to Northern Michigan where he learned of his love for hunting and fishing. Spending several of his adult years in upstate South Carolina, his love of extreme sports took root in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains as he learned to rock climb and kayak.
“Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and vanish into air.” ~ John Quincy Adams
There is no such thing as a routine traffic stop. Or a routine family disturbance. All can put an officers life in danger.
You state in paragraph 3 that one of the suspects names is Melvin Banks, but refer to him as Marvin in paragraph 4.
My condolences to the two officers family and to their department for their lost ..no one wants to keep hearing about the death of these officers fir doing their jobs. I hope the perps are dealt with harshly according to the laws of Mississippi..
Where was the compassion for the victims of all of the police brutality? Where were the voices speaking out against the wrong doing and the cover ups by the communities’ finest? This is what happens when those who are in positions of trust violate their duty to maintain that trust. Remove the bad seeds and the rest will blossom.
The compassion for the victims of police brutality are on their own threads. The cover ups and wrong doings are also on their own threads. Events where people are crying out over wrongful deaths, these two that shot the cops are the reason cops kill bad people. Like you said, “Remove the bad seeds and the rest will blossom.” Some people just don’t have enough lead in their system.