CRENSHAW – Panola County District Attorney John Champion has cleared a Crenshaw policeman, who shot and killed a suspect – after the suspect shot him – of any wrongdoing, saying the killing was justified. An investigation by police also revealed that the suspect had planned to kidnap, torture and murder his ex-girlfriend when she returned home from work.
Officer Sean Shelton shot and killed 49-year old Lawrence David Richardson after Richardson shot Shelton in the face and stomach.
Crenshaw Police Chief Paul Mills said Shelton encountered Richardson on the night of Feb. 7, around 10:30 p.m.
Mills said Shelton went to the residence of Joyce Betts, after Betts noticed the lights at her residence were off.
“The victim contacted our officer in regard to her outside security light,” Mills said. “She feared something was wrong with the fuse box and out of concern for her safety, she drove back to the police station and asked the officer to go with her and assist her with getting the lights on.”
When Betts and Shelton returned to her residence on Polland Road, Mills said Shelton entered the residence and was greeted by a “barrage of gunfire.” Shelton was shot in the face and abdomen, but was still able to return fire at the suspect.
“A gunfight ensued,” said Mills. “And he struck the suspect three times, killing him.”
Mills said Shelton left the premises in his patrol car and was met by another responding officer, who immediately began first aid on Shelton. The officer drove Shelton to a nearby fire station where emergency personnel met him to begin first aid triage on Shelton. Shelton was airlifted to The Med in Memphis where he underwent emergency surgery.
Mills said Shelton has since been released.
According to Mills, when police returned to Betts’ residence, there were several indications that Richardson had planned to kidnap, torture and murder Betts, his former girlfriend.
“The home had been prepared by the suspect as a crime scene,” Mills said. “He’d prepared items to torture and kill [Betts] and her daughter. The table was prepared with ligatures in order to bind somebody. The chair had been prepared with cut pieces of duct tape and handcuffs that would be at his readiness. He also had certain [kitchen] knives [arranged] in the living room area and there was a tarpaulin and a blanket there as well.”
The .22 caliber pistol the suspect used to shoot Shelton was also recovered at the scene. Mills said Richardson fired at least 10 rounds at the officer.
Betts told authorities that she and Richardson had a prior relationship that began in Virginia, and that Richardson had visited her in Crenshaw several times. Betts reportedly ended the relationship and Richardson allegedly sent her several threatening text messages saying he was going to kill her.
Mills said a few days prior to the incident, Betts had inquired about a restraining order against Richardson. Mills said Betts’ fear of the suspect, may have saved her life.
“She had some level of doubt when she approached her home,” Mills said. “She knew something wasn’t right. And Mr. Richardson was intent on doing a lot of harm to people and he was not going to be denied the opportunity to do that, in his mind.”
Trust fund set up for officer shot by suspect
Crenshaw Police Chief Paul Mills said a trust fund to benefit Officer Sean Shelton’s family has been established at the First Security Bank in Mississippi. Shelton was shot twice in the line of duty while responding to a call on Feb. 7.
Shelton was shot in the face and abdomen by Lawrence Richardson of Fairfax, Virginia. Richardson broke into the home of his ex-girlfriend, Joyce Betts, with the intent to kidnap, torture and murder her and her teenage daughter. Shelton entered the residence and was immediately shot by Richardson. Shelton returned fire killing Richardson.
Richardson, a convicted felon from Fairfax, Virginia had a 28-page criminal history on file which included prior charges of abduction, burglary and robbery.
The Panola County District Attorney’s office conducted an investigation into the shooting and concluded that Shelton was justified in the killing. District Attorney John Champion said the case would not be presented to the Panola County Grand Jury and that Shelton “acted courageously.”
Shelton, 32, underwent emergency surgery for his injuries and has been on leave since the incident.
Mills said that while Workman’s Compensation covers a portion of Shelton’s salary, his family has incurred other expenses not covered by the insurance.
“Something as traumatic as this displaces the whole family,” Mills said. “They have extra child care needs, they need a lot more help doing things around the house that Officer Shelton can no longer do. His wife has missed a lot of work being with him while he was in the hospital and now at home, they have incidental expenses because of his hospital stay and overnight expenses when they go to hospital.”
Mills said Shelton’s dedication to his family and to his job was a factor in his survival.
“He has an extremely strong desire to live and he has a large family to support,” Mills said. “Even talking with him after the shooting, his first thought was for the safety of the victim. He never once questioned the why of what happened. The only thing he was concerned about was, was [Ms. Betts] safe. You absolutely have to credit divine intervention in this case.”
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