Man wounded by police in robbery
Published 11:14 pm Tuesday, March 14, 2017
RIDGELAND (AP) — A 16-year-old bank robbery suspect in Mississippi was shot and wounded by at least one police officer Tuesday, officials say.
Ridgeland Police Chief John Neal said the suspect was hospitalized at the University of Mississippi Medical Center with wounds that are not considered life-threatening.
A masked person robbed a branch of BancorpSouth about 2 p.m. Tuesday and left with an undisclosed amount of money, Neal said.
Officers boxed the suspect’s car in after a chase and opened fire when he got out of the vehicle and tried to flee, Neal said at a news conference. The chief said he does not know which officer or officers fired as the person tried to escape.
The suspect is black. Neal said officers who responded are both black and white.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is examining the case, which is normal protocol for officer-involved shootings. Neal did not disclose the officers’ names, saying the district attorney will decide later whether to release that information.
It was not immediately clear whether the suspect had been charged or whether he would face charges as an adult.
Neal would not say whether any of the responding officers had been subject to previous disciplinary action at the Ridgeland Police Department.
Ridgeland is a suburb of Jackson.