DESOTO CO., Miss. (locamemphis.com) – The wanted elderly man who was shot and killed by DeSoto County deputies has been identified as 76-year-old John Bott.
The shooting happened around 11 p.m. Sunday on U.S. 78, near the I-269 interchange and the Marshall County line. Investigators said deputies pursued the 76-year-old man after he showed a weapon at three DeSoto County businesses in an eight-mile stretch along Goodman Road and fired shots outside two of them.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation in the case.
While no bystanders were hurt during those intense moments, plenty of questions remain one day after that deadly shooting by several deputies on duty.
“There’s a lot more pieces that have to be looked at,” DeSoto County District Attorney John Champion said.
Champion said a lengthy investigation is underway, after a hectic night for authorities ended with a wanted man shot and killed by deputies on U.S. 78.
“It’s just a lot of people we need to talk to,” Champion said.
The DA said it began when the 76-year-old man went to a Southaven Longhorn Steakhouse, showed a gun, and fired shots outside. Champion said that man then went to a Fazoli’s across the street, showed a gun inside there, and drove several miles on Goodman Road to an Applebee’s in Olive Branch, where he fired another shot outside.
“Nobody was harmed, thank God,” Champion said.
According to investigators, several DeSoto County Sheriff’s deputies followed the man in a short pursuit, to a median on U.S. 78, near the 269 interchange.
“They were giving commands for the man to come out of the vehicle and he refused and a shot was fired and the officers responded and shot and killed him inside the vehicle,” Champion said.
Authorities aren’t yet releasing the man’s name but Local 24 News was told he lived in Marshall County and according to his family, suffered from psychological challenges.
“We know that he’s a veteran and we know that he did have significant mental issues,” Champion said.
DeSoto County Sheriff’s deputies do not wear body cameras on duty, but the patrol cars are equipped with dash cameras. Footage will be used in the MBI’s investigation.
The deputies involved Sunday night will remain on paid leave until the MBI probe in completed, which is expected in the next month or so.