A shooting last Friday resulted in the death of Simpson County Sheriff’s Deputy James Blair.
Sheriff Paul Mullins said the Simpson County Sheriff’s Office received a call at approximately 3:28 p.m. about an active shooter at Region 8 Mental Health Facility in Mendenhall on Highway 13. Mullins said in route to the scene, responders were advised that a deputy had been shot, and that the gunman had fled the scene.
Upon arrival officers found Deputy James Blair on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. Blair was taken by ambulance to Simpson General Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Mullins said multiple agencies responded to a request for back up and officers immediately began setting up a perimeter along Highway 13 near Region 8. K-9 units were deployed to assist in tracking the suspect, who was identified as Joaquin Blackwell. Mullins said Blackwell was being transported to Region 8 on a chancery writ and was in route for an evaluation.
Mullins said while officers were conducting the search, dispatchers received a call from a woman in north D’Lo with details of a person fitting Blackwell’s description. The woman said a male fitting the description had just shot at her son and that he was wounded. Upon arrival at the location officers found a male subject who had sustained a wound to his head; however, it was not a gunshot wound. Mullins said the subject was loaded into a patrol car and taken to Simpson General Hospital. Mullins said the subject was later interviewed and his statement was found to be false. The subject was identified as Shawn Tullos.
After acting on the false report, officers tightened their perimeter back to Highway 13 near the scene of the initial crime. The search for Blackwell went through the night and carried over to Saturday. Mullins said the Mississippi Highway Patrol helicopter was called in to aid in the search. He said it was flying at a low altitude over the area which prompted the Blackwell to move. He was later found to be hiding under an 18 wheeler in the parking lot of the Shell Gas Station located next to Region 8 Mental Health Facility. Blackwell was apprehended without incident and taken to the Rankin County Jail.
During his initial appearance Blackwell was charged with capital murder of a peace officer and denied bond. A subsequent arrest was made of Shawn Tullos. According to District Attorney Matt Sullivan Tullos was arrested for making a false report of seeing Blackwell, sending law enforcement officers in the wrong direction.
