JACKSON – While many continue to mourn the loss of rookie Jackson Police Officer Glen Agee, who was shot to death in the line of duty on Aug. 6, several issues about his life and death have been raised by friends and family members, including the mental state of his alleged killer and a lawsuit filed by Agee’s estranged wife, Mihia Agee, against Courtnie Thomas, the mother of Officer Agee’s 4-month old daughter.
Funeral services for Officer Agee were held on Friday in Jackson.
Mihia Agee claims Courtnie Thomas, Agee’s siblings and his parents had plans to stop a second memorial service she had planned for Saturday, Aug. 14.
In addition, Mihia reportedly filed a defamation and slander of character lawsuit against all parties and an alienation of affection lawsuit against Thomas.
Mihia and Officer Agee had been separated for two years, but were legally married at the time of his murder.
The man accused of shooting Agee, 24-year old Latwan Smith, pleaded not guilty to the murder in court last week and authorities believe he may be mentally ill.
Smith was arrested on Aug. 6 after police said he escaped from a patrol car, wrestled with Agee and allegedly shot him twice in the face. Smith had been arrested during a domestic dispute earlier that day after he allegedly put a loaded gun to his girlfriend’s head at a residence in South Jackson.
Agee, 31, and another officer were transporting Smith to jail when Smith complained of difficulty breathing. Authorities said when an officer rolled the rear window down, Smith – who managed to get his handcuffed hands in front of his body – reportedly reached outside, opened the door and ran away.
Agee pursued Smith into the woods and the two wrestled in the water in a nearby canal. Police said Smith allegedly shot Agee with his own weapon and then fled on foot. Agee was found by fellow officers about 45 minutes later and he was pronounced dead at UMC Hospital.
Smith was apprehended a short time later.
The next day, on Aug. 10, a volunteer searching the area with a metal detector found Agee’s service revolver, a 9mm Glock 17, under the mud of a creek bed about 20 feet from where Agee’s body was found. Police said this was the weapon used to murder Agee.
Smith appeared in court before Judge William Barnett on Aug. 9, and printed reports said he seemed “disoriented” and “incoherent.”
“He seemed delusional and paranoid to me, but I am not a psychiatrist,” Smith’s court-appointed attorney Allison Kelly told WLBT. “We will certainly make some sort of motion to have him evaluated because he was not, in my mind, even able to understand the proceedings today.”
Smith’s sister acknowledged that he’s been a paranoid schizophrenic all his life.
“He’s got mental problems,” April Smith told The Clarion-Ledger. “He just don’t act himself. He acts crazy at times, then he’ll come around and realize what he did.”
But authorities said if Smith, who has a lengthy arrest record, has a history of mental issues, there’s no evidence of that in the Hinds County Chancery Court records.
In light of that, Officer Agee’s brother, Dwight Agee, doubts that Smith could have ever overpowered his 6 foot 3 inch brother, who weighed 265 pounds.
“My brother was trained to take down people,” Dwight told WLBT. “I just know he wouldn’t let that dude take him down. I can’t see it. I can’t see it.”
While Officer Agee was a rookie with the Jackson Police Department, he had about 10 years experience as a law enforcement officer. He worked for the Mississippi Department of Corrections in Pearl and for the state’s mental hospital in Whitfield. He also worked as an officer at Jackson State University.
Agee had been on the Jackson police force for two months prior to his death.
WLBT reported that Dwight said he has a hard time believing a handcuffed, convicted felon could kill his brother.
“I don’t understand it. In a way I don’t think he done it, in a way I do.” Dwight said.
Smith is being held without bond on capital murder charges in Hinds County.
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