While most Americans slumbered away around 5 a.m. today, two Brookhaven, Mississippi police officers responded to a “shots fired” call. Neither of the two young lawmen are going home. Accompanied by Brookhaven Mayor Joe Cox at a daybreak press conference, Brookhaven police Chief Kenneth Collins uttered the few words without eloquence yet still made his point crystal clear: “We received a call this morning about 4:47 a.m. A shots fired call. We have gone on those calls many times but nothing ever happened. But this morning something happened.”
Chief Collins followed that prelude with the evidence of emotion bubbling in the throat of a police executive whose modest-sized police force lost two cops in one call as the sun was preparing to shed light on stark matters: “Two heroes lost their lives this morning, and they’re in the presence of Jesus right now.”
Slain in the gun-battle were Brookhaven police Corporal Zack Moak, 31, and Patrolman James White, 35. The Brookhaven Police Department, a small city abutting Interstate 55 in the southern portion of Mississippi, is now shy two of its contingent of roughly 38 cops.
Given its smaller-than-most size, the Brookhaven PD was assisted by the larger Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and the even larger Mississippi Department of Public Safety. As one may imagine, the phalanx of varied police cruisers blanketed the area as soon as it became known that there were officers down! In a case like that, smaller law enforcement agencies respectfully hand the torch to those with vast resources while still staying in the game. The game played out and police authorities combined were able to net the object of zero affection: A suspect.
According to the Clarion-Ledger, Marquis Flowers, 25, is the shooter of the two Brookhaven police officers. Flowers was reportedly injured by the gunfire and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. In such a case, cops will custodially accompany Mr. Flowers through the medical process until physicians deem it is sufficient to transport him to county jail for subsequent arraignment in court.
As Chief Collins said at the agency press conference this morning, “They are heroes. My heart goes out to them and all their kinfolk. And, uh, you never know when it’s your last day, and I just want to thank all the men and women in law enforcement for their bravery…and for their service. I want to thank all these [law enforcement] agencies who come down this morning and embraced us with love, tears, and hugs, to let us know that we are family.”
With barely a breath between a change-up of sentiments, Chief Collins didn’t miss a beat: “And to the criminals out there, we won’t never stop!” Watching his posture and listening to his heartfelt oration, I got the feeling the Brookhaven chief is a cops’ cop whose overbearing size projects the proverbial teddy bear who will play nice until pushed to clobber whatever foe stands in his way.
I suspect that’s where his men and women in uniform gather the momentum and light the thrusters to push forward. From scant and closely-guarded police investigative reports, both Cpl. Moak and Officer White responded in separate police cruisers to reports of “shots fired.” Upon arrival at the suspect address, both cops got out and were met with immediate gunfire at the hands of Mr. Flowers. Tentative notions formed: this episode had the makings of yet another ambush of police officers. The suspect loosed gunfire to elicit some form of response. That came by way of a neighbor calling police. The rest resulted in tragedy and the latest police line-of-duty deaths, now totaling 111 per the Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP). Forty-three of the 111 police deaths stem from gunfire (one accidental discharge). With 18 police fatalities, May was the deadliest month thus far.
Chief Collins informed the media that Brookhaven police cars are equipped with dash cams and the department officers also don body cams. At this juncture in the investigation, it is only speculation that any of the actual exchange of gunfire was captured on either/or recording system. Since law enforcement officers tactically position their cars upon arrival, using them as cover should things go south, it is likely the dash cams were focused away from a potential target address/suspect. Body cams are different in that anywhere the policeman looks, the camera is capturing activity. Viably, both Brookhaven police officers got a gander of Flowers, at least, seconds before he swiftly produced, pointed and fired a handgun. Hence, a brief segment of footage is possibly on one or both body cams.
Chief Collins did confirm that both slain officers were wearing body armor, to no avail. This means the shooter was somehow handy with firearms and swiftly placed headshots, making the vests useless, or he sprayed bullets errantly after an abrupt presentation the cops had little time to react to. The forensics investigators will distill these factors and facilitate a chronology
As is customary in such instances, the smaller/involved agency defers the overall investigation to a larger/uninvolved law enforcement entity; in this case, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (Mississippi’s version of the FBI) is assuming responsibility of the double-homicide and investigation of their alleged killer. MBI agents are supplemented by federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) who were dispatched to the scene.
While the cop-killer was recuperating in a Jackson, Mississippi-area hospital, Brookhaven police personnel relocated both Cpl. Moak’s and Officer White’s assigned police cruisers to the front of the Brookhaven police building, as seen in the cover photo atop this article.
A prior mug shot of the assailant is available and was publicized via local news stations, along with the shooter’s brother who offered some conspiracy theories of his own:
Mississippi Bureau of Investigation public affairs spokesperson Warren Strain pointed out that the following would be the only press conference to be held this date, asking all media personnel to post their mics and ask all questions so that the investigators can conduct a “meticulous investigation” without interruption. My respect for how he handled that up front, sans politicized brouhaha or elected official grandstanding or allowing media to control the event.
Gathering the somber mood among law enforcers when such a line-of-duty tragedy occurs, the following sole press conference colorizes the notion of sadness fused with professional demeanor punctuating the death investigation of two fellow cops:
