Suspect shot in Tupelo fleeing New Albany police

TUPELO – The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is investigating an incident that began in New Albany early Saturday and ended in East Tupelo with a suspect being shot near the Tupelo Children’s Mansion.

New Albany Police Chief Chris Robertson said he could provide limited details although it is up to MBI to lead the investigation and Lee County officials are handling their part.

Robertson said police had set up a driver’s license checkpoint on Hwy. 15 South near Hillcrest Church about midnight Friday.

“A blue Ford Ranger pulled up with a white male and white female inside,” he said. “They asked for the driver’s information and he gave it.”

However, the chief said, a check on the driver came back with an outstanding warrant from Conway, Ark. for sexual battery with extradition.

“When the driver figured out he was going to jail, he took off,” Robertson said.

Police gave chase and alerted Union and Lee county officials as well as Tupelo police once it was clear they were headed in that direction.

Tupelo Police Captain Chuck McDougald said Tupelo police found out about it around 1 a.m. according to a report from WTVA.

It is not clear whether the suspect crashed or just stopped but the chase ended near the Tupelo Children’s Mansion on East Main.

By this time New Albany, Union County, Tupelo and Lee County officers were on the scene.

Robertson said the suspect got out of the vehicle with a firearm in his hand and one of the officers fired, striking the suspect. One report said that the suspect fired first but that was not clear initially.

Robertson said the suspect is at an undisclosed hospital in stable condition and expected to recover.

No one else was reported injured.

He said a list of charges should be available Monday, once the different agencies complete their investigation.

A firearm was recovered from the scene.

Robertson did not have the suspect’s name at hand, or the female companion, but added that so far no charges appear to be pending against the woman and they are apparently from Arkansas rather than being local.

WTVA reported that the incident was witnessed by a vanload of children from the mansion who were just returning from an earlier event.

Children’s Mansion leaders Stephen and Erma Judd posted on Facebook that children saw what had happened and that the wanted man breached campus security, according to WTVA.