Mississippi AG’s office probes shooting by state trooper

WOODVILLE, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi attorney general’s office is investigating a shooting last week by a Mississippi Highway Patrol officer in Wilkinson County, near the Louisiana border, officials said.

The trooper, whose name was not released, injured a person in a shooting in Woodville, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Natchez, news outlets reported. The shooting happened Dec. 30 after the pursuit of four people. Three were captured and one ran away. The person who fled was injured in the shooting.

The injured person has been released from a hospital and is currently in custody, Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office said Tuesday. His name, hometown and the charges he faces were not released.

Earlier reports from news outlets indicated the Highway Patrol officer tried to pull over a vehicle for a traffic stop. The vehicle fled, prompting the police chase. When the vehicle stopped, one of the people in the car tried to run away, shooting at the trooper while doing so, but he missed. The trooper returned fire, hitting the suspect twice in the leg.

Under state law, the attorney general’s office must designate a law enforcement agency or task force to investigate shootings by state troopers resulting in injury or death. Fitch’s office has not released any more details.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation handles investigations of shootings by police officers, sheriff’s deputies and other officers.