Mississippi Police Shooting Involves Three Non-Working Body Cams, Cop’s Stolen Gun

A recent Mississippi police shooting has huge question marks all over it, involving three non-working body cameras, a cop’s stolen gun and an unauthorized ride-along passenger.  Everything in this story screams lies and coverup.

A handgun reported stolen from a   Columbus police officer’s home this summer was discovered “within arm’s reach” of a man fatally shot by police two weeks ago, according to the Columbus Police Department.

The  three officers involved in the shooting were wearing body cameras but they weren’t activated, according to CPD Public Information Officer Raymond Hackler.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is conducting an investigation. The release of the sequence of events that ended with the fatal shooting of 33-year-old Ricky Ball came from the Columbus Police Department.

At 10:08 p.m. on Oct. 16, a police cruiser — occupied by three officers and an unauthorized ride-along passenger — attempted to pull over a vehicle at 22nd Street North and 15th Avenue North, according to the release. The release did not cite the reason for the attempted stop.

The release identified the officers as Canyon Boykin, Johnny Branch and Yolanda Young. The three officers have been placed on leave, pending the results of MBI’s investigation.

The three officers were  “equipped with body cameras,” Hackler said, but the cameras had not yet been activated. One camera did “record events,” however, “approximately 30 seconds after the shooting.”

The driver of the vehicle was identified as Shannon Brewer. When Brewer stopped the vehicle, Ball, who was the lone passenger in the vehicle, “jumped out of the car and attempted to flee,” Hackler said in the release.

According to the release, “Officers attempted to arrest Ball which resulted in gunfire. Specifics surrounding why Ball was shot are still being investigated by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.”

After the shooting, Hackler said officers “lost sight of Mr. Ball.”

Officers called for backup and searched abandoned houses in the area in an attempt to find Ball. A K9 unit was also called to the scene.

At approximately 10:30 p.m., Ball was found by officers between two houses on 14th Avenue North, a block and a half away from the stopped vehicle, Hackler said.

Ball was transported to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle. He was pronounced dead at 11:12 p.m., Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant has said he  was shot once in the upper body and once in the lower body.

A Taurus 9mm handgun was found “within arm’s reach” of Ball when he was discovered by officers, Hackler said. Suspected drugs were also found near Ball, the release said.

The handgun was reported stolen from a CPD officer’s home on Aug.  5 along with a Glock .40, the officer’s service weapon.

The August burglary was the second burglary in a year at the officer’s home. In September 2014, five firearms, two televisions and an Xbox were reported stolen from the home. CPD is actively searching for the suspect, Arthur Danagelo Davidson.