Sheriff: Miss. police might be gang targets
JACKSON, Miss. — Law enforcement officers in Hattiesburg and Lamar and Forrest counties are on alert after receiving intelligence that they may be targeted by gang members in the wake of the slayings of two Hattiesburg police officers.
Lamar County Sheriff Danny Rigel said investigators came across information related to a possible threat after the deaths of Officers Liquori Tate and Benjamin Deen.
"We've heard the rumors and we're taking everything seriously, but we haven't confirmed the validity of the intelligence," he said.
Meanwhile, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has arrested a fifth person in the shooting deaths. Abram Wade "Pete" Franklin, 29, of Hattiesburg, was arrested Wednesday and has been charged with obstruction of justice.
The MBI also on Wednesday located two additional persons of interest in the case who they began searching for Tuesday night.
Deen and Tate were killed Saturday night after Deen pulled over a car with Marvin Banks, Joanie Calloway and Cornelius Clark inside. Police said Banks, who is charged with two counts of capital murder, pulled the trigger on the officers.
Calloway and Curtis Banks, Marvin Banks' brother, are charged with accessory after the fact of capital murder. Clark is charged with obstruction of justice.
On Tuesday night, the MBI released surveillance footage of a man and woman they said were persons of interest.
"They were interviewed today and not charged," Department of Public Safety spokesman Warren Strain said Wednesday.
Authorities are not sure whether they will need to interview anyone else or whether other charges could be brought against new suspects.
"You never say never," Strain said. "It depends on what information is developed during the course of the continuing investigation. There may be additional persons we would like to talk to just like these two who may or may not be part of the criminal activity. We just want to talk to them to see what they know."
Throughout the day Wednesday, law enforcement officers searched for the weapon used to kill Tate and Deen. The search included divers and officers on foot. Strain said it was called off late Wednesday afternoon after nothing was found.
Strain said the MBI is working to verify or debunk the threats of gang members targeting police officers.
"There are a lot of rumors and innuendos out in the community," he said. "Whether those rumors have any viability has yet to be determined, but our troopers and investigators are always on a heightened state of alert and face dangers on a daily basis and are prepared to deal with that danger as it may present itself."
Pike County Sheriff Mark Shepherd is preparing his department to be part of the funerals and memorial services, especially that of Tate, who was from McComb.
"We all feel more vigilant when something occurs like this — and more cautious after something horrible happens," he said. "I've been in this business a long time, and I've seen and been to a lot of funerals of officers killed in the line of duty. And everyone gets their guard up when this kind of tragedy occurs."
Shepherd has two sons in law enforcement, and one works for Lamar County. He said he thinks about their safety a lot because no call is routine.