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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi authorities said Wednesday they’re investigating sheriff’s deputies involved in the shooting of a Black man who was hospitalized for nearly three weeks after being wounded last month in the late-night raid of a home.
There is a stark discrepancy in how police say the Jan. 24 incident unfolded and what lawyers for the family of Michael Corey Jenkins say occurred. The lawyers claim it was a racially motivated attack while police say the shooting occurred after someone pointed a gun at deputies during the raid.
Attorneys for Jenkins say he was critically injured by white Rankin County deputies who beat Jenkins and shot him in the mouth. Jenkins, who was hospitalized until Tuesday, planned to attend a news conference with his lawyers Wednesday afternoon.
“Michael would be dead like (Tyre) Nichols had he not have been lucky enough to survive this near deadly attack by 6 white Rankin County Deputies,” attorney Malik Shabazz said in a statement. Nichols died after being beaten by Memphis police in January.
Bailey Martin, a spokesperson for the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, said the agency is investigating the incident and declined further comment.
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In a news release on Jan. 25, the bureau said the deputies were conducting a narcotics investigation when they entered the home in Rankin County east of Jackson. The bureau said the shooting occurred after someone pointed a gun toward the deputies.
Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey said in a statement that he immediately sought a state investigation. The sheriff’s office gave few details but said Jenkins was charged with assaulting an officer and drug possession. Another man detained during the home raid, Eddie Terrell Parker, has been charged with possession of paraphernalia and disorderly conduct.
“Rest assured, if any deputy or suspect involved in this incident is found to have broken the law, he will be held accountable in accordance with the law,” the sheriff said.
Bailey did not respond to written questions about whether deputies had a warrant or if the deputies involved had been placed on administrative leave.
