The following is a statement issued by Kent Banks of the Forrest County Sheriff’s Officer regarding the officer-involved shooting that left one man dead on July 14.
Several of you have asked us for an update to our original news releases concerning the deputy involved shooting of July 14, 2022.
Inquiries concern these topics:
-Do Forrest County Deputies wear Body Worn Cameras (BWCs)?
-Were any of the deputies present at the incident location trained in Crisis Intervention Training (CIT)?
-How many deputies have received training in responding to people in crisis?
The FCSO currently does not have issued BWCs. The FCSO initiated the process of obtaining BWCs for distribution to FCSO members in June as a result of a grant that was recently awarded to the Sheriff’s Office from Congress.
There were four deputies present at the incident on 7/14/22 and all four have CIT certification. Of 25 Patrol/Warrants personnel currently assigned to the FCSO, 17 have been CIT trained and the remaining members will all receive CIT training as classroom seats become available.
Other inquiries we received concerned information specific to the ongoing MBI investigation. Until that investigation has concluded, and the results are released, we are unable to address these additional questions; clarification of the blunt object utilized against the subject, was the deputy injured the one who fired at the subject, how many rounds were fired and by whom, and did all rounds fired strike the subject, if all of the deputies at the scene are on paid administrative leave and if the subject that was shot, and was the subject being served a civil commitment writ.
This will be the last communication regarding this particular incident by the FCSO until the release of the MBI investigation.
Deputies involved in the shooting, all with the FCSO, are as follows:
- Captain E. Henderson
- Captain K. Banks
- Captain T. Hartfield
- Deputy A. Hatten
- Deputy J. Jackson
- Investigator J. Hagan
- Deputy W. Harris
- Major J. Humphrey
- Sergeant A. Woodard
- Sergeant K. Leroy
- Sergeant T. Russell
- Sheriff C. Sims
- Investigator B. Stansell
The incident occurred when deputies attempted to serve a civil commitment writ on a male subject in the 300 block of South Chancellor in Hattiesburg.
Shortly after deputies arrived at the residence a male subject approached one of the deputies and an altercation ensued. The deputy received an injury to the head from a blunt object and the subject received a gunshot wound to the torso.
The deputy was transported from the scene via ambulance to Forrest General Hospital. The male subject succumbed to his injuries on the scene.
The deceased has been identified as Corey Maurice Hughes.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation responded to the scene and has initiated an investigation. Any further comments concerning the investigation will come from the MBI.
