YAZOO COUNTY – District Attorney James Powell exclusively told The Mississippi Link on Friday that his investigation of a Yazoo County deputy who killed a man during a domestic related call last month is over.
Powell, who did not name the deputy, said according to the testimony of several witnesses, the shooting of 36-year old William Edward Parker, of Madison, was justified.
The incident occurred about 1 a.m., on Friday, Oct. 9, on Beale Road in northern Yazoo County. Powell said Parker’s girlfriend called police because Parker came to her home and “became violent” with her. Powell said when Parker “passed out,” the woman left her residence to get help.
“At some point during the night he began drinking and/or using drugs,” Powell said. “She went and called police basically, to get him off the premises. When the officer that responded arrived at the house, [Parker] became confrontational with him.”
Powell said the deputy attempted to place Parker under arrest, but Parker didn’t respond to his orders and walked away from the deputy. Powell said according to witness statements, Parker turned around and walked back toward the deputy in an aggressive manner.
“He threatened him,” Powell said of Parker. “The officer tried to retreat from Parker. But Parker was a big guy, about 6’4 or 6’5, and when the officer pulled his revolver and fired a warning shot into the air, this still didn’t stop Parker.”
Powell said Parker and the deputy got into a scuffle wherein Parker tried to take the deputy’s weapon from him. Powell said that’s when the deputy shot Parker the first time.
“He still continued to attack the deputy while trying to take his gun,” Powell said. “The woman’s father was hitting him on top of the head with a stick because Parker was still on top of the officer. And the deputy shot him again. Even when the first responder’s came, Parker continued to be confrontational with the officer.”
Powell said Parker sustained a gunshot wound to the chest and arm during the struggle and he was transported by ambulance to King’s Daughters Hospital in Lexington where he later died. An autopsy was performed by the county coroner Ricky Shivers.
“From what the deputy said, and the witness statements that were taken, this was justified,” Powell said. “It’s bad, and I hate that someone lost their life here. But the officer has to be able to protect himself. He was alone during the initial response and backup didn’t arrive until the ambulance came and everything else had taken place. This guy was shot and injured, and he still continued to fight.”
Powell said that Parker had no prior charges in Yazoo County, although the woman’s family had continuous “problems with him in the past.” He also said that Parker had prior charges in Madison County.
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