Jason Hemphill
A Starkville man is in jail after police say he fired shots at his sister at a Starkville apartment complex on Wednesday.
Officers with the Starkville Police Department arrested 36-year-old Jason Hemphill on Wednesday after responding to a shots fired call at Brooksville Garden apartments in the 300 block of Everglade Avenue.
Hemphill had an initial appearance and probable cause hearing in Municipal Court on Thursday, where SPD Detective Kenley Reaves took the witness stand to describe the incident.
Reaves said when he arrived on scene at the apartment complex, officers reported that they found two spent shell casings fired from a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun.
Once Hemphill was in custody, Reaves said he admitted to taking two shots at his sister, who was not injured in the shooting. Reaves then said Hemphill confirmed his sister did not return fire during the altercation.
It is unclear at this time what spurred the shooting.
Municipal Judge Rodney Faver set bond on the aggravated assault charge at $5,000 for Hemphill, who will remain in the Oktibbeha County Jail until he can make bail.
If found guilty on the charges, Hemphill could face up to 20 years in prison.
Judge Faver also appointed public defender Ben Lang to Hemphill’s case.
A preliminary hearing date for the case was set for July 11.
According to Oktibbeha County Circuit Court records, Hemphill is also facing unrelated charges of possession of a stolen firearm. He was indicted on two counts of possession of a stolen firearm by a Grand Jury in June 2017.
In April 2017, the Starkville Daily News reported that Hemphill was arrested for shooting into an occupied dwelling and residential burglary at Brooksville Garden.
His trial for the stolen firearm charges is set for the next regular Circuit Court term, which begins on July 26.
Court documents also show an Oktibbeha County Grand Jury indicted Hemphill for statutory rape in 2004. However, Circuit Court Judge Jim Kitchens dismissed the charge in April 2005.