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https://djournal.com/news/new-details-reveal-key-facts-involved-tupelo-police-shooting/
New details reveal key facts involved in Tupelo police shooting
TUPELO – New details from the city of Tupelo regarding the fatal shooting of a man by a city police officer depict an altercation that led the officer to fire his weapon in defense during an attack – contrasting claims included in a wrongful death lawsuit filed this week.
Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton and other city leaders have been mostly quiet regarding the June 18 officer-involved death of Antwun “Ronnie” Shumpert, who was shot after he fled from a traffic stop. He later died at a hospital from his injuries.
Officials have urged patience, saying details of the shooting would emerge after a state investigation concluded and a grand jury convened.
But in response to ongoing discord in the community, Shelton sat down Thursday with the Daily Journal for an exclusive interview. He disclosed key facts about why, according to investigators, officer Tyler Cook shot Shumpert.
A wrongful death suit has been filed by the Shumpert family, who is being represented by Grenada attorney Carlos Moore. On Thursday, Moore filed a suit that called Shumpert’s death a “modern day lynching.” The suit demands $35 million in total compensation. In its telling, Cook fired four shots into Shumpert’s body with no provocation as Shumpert tried to defend himself from an attack by a K-9 unit.
Shelton, however, described the tragedy differently. He said investigators believe Cook was attacked and put on his back and then discharged his service weapon in defense. Shelton also said Shumpert did not have any bite marks on him.
Meanwhile, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is conducting a probe into the shooting. The results of that investigation will be presented to a grand jury, which will decide whether or not to indict the officer.
The incident began after a Tupelo Police Department officer initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle on Harrison Street at approximately 9:38 p.m. Saturday, June 18. Shumpert was driving the vehicle, and his friend Charles Foster was a passenger. Shortly after the car was stopped, Shumpert left the vehicle and fled the scene.
The officer who initiated the traffic stop was not the officer who later shot Shumpert, a fact released for the first time on Thursday by Shelton.
Cook, who is a K-9 unit handler with TPD, was called in as backup.
“The first officer stayed with the vehicle and the passenger, and officer Cook pursued Mr. Shumpert,” Shelton said.
Moore had previously identified Cook as the shooter, and Shelton confirmed this fact Thursday.
Chase and shooting
After he ran from the stop, Shumpert hid under a home’s crawlspace, according to Shelton and local authorities. Moore’s suit also says that Shumpert hid.
At some point, Shumpert emerged from his hiding spot. That’s where the versions of events differ.
“The K-9 essentially caused Mr. Shumpert to come (out) of the crawlspace,” Shelton said.
Since the shooting, authorities have said Shumpert attacked the officer. The mayor described that version of events in more detail.
“Mr. Shumpert then attacked the officer and essentially had the officer down on the flat of his back beating him on the face,” Shelton said.
That’s when Cook pulled the trigger, according to Shelton.
“The officer discharged his weapon from his back with Mr. Shumpert on top of him,” the mayor said.
On Friday morning, city authorities released a photo of Cook allegedly taken in an ambulance about one hour after the shooting.
In the photo, bruising and swelling are visible around one of his eyes. A cut or blood is visible on the bridge of his nose. What appears to be blood or dirt is visible on his neck.
Moore questioned the legitimacy of the photo.
“It looks to be staged to me,” he said. “You would expect someone that has been in a struggle to have injuries a lot worse than that.”
Moore has described a very different version of events, one in which Cook shot Shumpert without provocation.
“Shumpert initially hid from the police but eventually tried to surrender voluntarily and come from his hiding place as he heard the dog approach,” the suit alleges. “As Shumpert attempted to voluntarily surrender, the K-9 viciously attacked Shumpert.”
The suit goes on to claim, “While trying to defend himself against total annihilation by the K-9, Officer Tyler Cook approached the unarmed Shumpert and shot him four times, three times to the chest and once in the abdomen.”
Moore has released photos of Shumpert’s body. He says these photos show mutilation of the body by the K-9 unit, including scratch marks on his back and wounds to the groin area.
Shelton suggested otherwise.
“What has been relayed to me is that there are no bite marks on Mr. Shumpert,” Shelton said.
The photos of Shumpert’s body released by Moore were taken at a funeral home several days after Shumpert’s death, Shelton said.
By this time, Shumpert had been through surgery at North Mississippi Medical Center, rigor mortis had set in and his body had been autopsied.
“I think that is important to remember on the pictures,” Shelton said.
Moore said he is able to identify the wounds on Shumpert’s body that existed before any autopsy.
“I have reviewed the medical records, the ambulance records and the hospital records of Mr. Shumpert so I know those injuries that are documented in the medical records prior to him going for the autopsy,” Moore said.
A forensic pathologist has also told Moore there are wounds on Shumpert’s body consistent with a dog attack, Moore said.
Cook was placed on administrative leave after the incident, and Tupelo Police Chief Bart Aguirre said Thursday Cook would remain on leave until a grand jury meets.
The next scheduled grand jury will occur in September, but the district attorney could order a special grand jury to hear the case once the MBI investigation is complete.
Tupelo Police Chief Bart Aguirre said Thursday the investigation is pretty much completed, but is waiting on lab samples that have been submitted to the state crime lab. Aguirre said he has asked MBI to expedite the investigation and hopes to have something “within the next three to four weeks.”
