JCSD Deputies De-Escalate Critical Situation

The Jones County Sheriff's Department responded to a report of shots fired at a residence by a juvenile male in southwestern Jones County on Wednesday afternoon. JCSD deputies arrived on the scene and located the unidentified juvenile male with two weapons and were able to de-escalate the critical situation and take the young man into custody.

"Deputy Josh King and Deputy Derick Knight were the first JCSD deputies to arrive on scene, with several other JCSD units responding, and made contact with the juvenile male who we learned during the emergency response was autistic. The young man was armed with two weapons and had fired at least one of the weapons several times prior to our arrival. Deputy King and Deputy Knight were able to talk him into dropping one of the weapons he was holding after several extremely tense moments," notes Sheriff Joe Berlin. He adds, "This situation had the potential to require the use of deadly force by our deputies as the young man had been actively shooting before we arrived on scene; however, our deputies utilized their experience, training in critical incident shooting response, training in de-escalation techniques, and situational awareness to bring this incident to a safe conclusion for all."

JCSD deputies, investigators, and command staff confirmed that shots had been fired into the home and that two weapons were used in the incident by the juvenile. The juvenile was transported by EMServ Ambulance Service to Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg for further evaluation. No injuries were reported to residents of the home, neighbors, or responding JCSD personnel.