A Starkville man is dead and a Lowndes County Sheriff’s deputy is recovering from a gunshot wound following a high-speed car chase across multiple counties in the Golden Triangle on Monday.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety chief public affairs officer Warren Strain told the SDN the incident started about 10:07 a.m. when a Webster County Sheriff’s deputy attempted to make a traffic stop on a white Hyundai SUV for suspicion of DUI. The suspect was identified as Pryor Spencer Bailey IV, 45, of Starkville.
The suspect did not stop for the officer and the pursuit ensued across several counties. Strain said stop sticks were deployed about 10:17 a.m. in the city of Columbus, but the suspect evaded them.
As the chase developed, more stop sticks were deployed by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office near Highway 50 and Highway 82 on the east side of Columbus.
The white Hyundai was disabled and the suspect exited the vehicle brandishing two handguns. An exchange of gunfire followed and a deputy was shot in the leg by the suspect.
Multiple media reports have confirmed the officer’s identity as Kevin Forrester, who is currently in stable condition. Forrester's injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
Strain said Bailey was killed in the shootout with police and was alone in the vehicle.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation sent agents to the scene along with crime scene technicians. The body will be transported to the medical examiner’s office in Jackson for an autopsy.
Strain said four law enforcement agencies teamed up during the pursuit, including Mississippi Highway Patrol, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office and the Webster County Sheriff’s Department.
The incident is still under investigation.