There were few signs Monday afternoon of the Saturday-night shooting at the Dutch Village Shell station at the corner of Lehmberg Road and Highway 50 in Columbus. A foot-long segment of police tape dangled from a post on the Lehmberg side of the station, but otherwise, it was business as usual.
For the Columbus Police Department and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office though, Monday was a time to reflect on the incident, which resulted in a suspect being taken to the hospital, a metro narcotics agent being injured and a city police officer under investigation after firing his weapon.
Marvin Dale Kyles, 25, of 75 Glynis Road in Steens, was driving a white Chevrolet Blazer around 10:30 p.m. Saturday when he was stopped by a Columbus Police officer for playing his stereo too loudly, Jon Kalahar, spokesman for the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, said Monday afternoon.
Kyles pulled into the Dutch Village gas station, and an on-duty metro narcotics agent came to assist the city officer.
Kyles had drugs in plain view, according to Columbus Police Chief Selvain McQueen.
Faced with the possibility of arrest, Kyles slammed his car into reverse, striking the city officer’s patrol car. The narcotics agent was dragged a short distance while leaning into the passenger’s side window and attempting to switch off the vehicle’s ignition, Kalahar said.
At that point, the Columbus police officer fired his weapon from the driver’s side of the vehicle, McQueen said.
MBI, city police and the sheriff’s office refused to give the names of the officers involved or the specific injuries the narcotics agent and the suspect suffered.
“Right now, it’s a safety issue,” McQueen said. “With this being a traumatic experience, (the Columbus police officer and his family) need time to digest this.”
McQueen said he was glad no one was seriously injured. The investigation is being handled by MBI.
“I know there are a lot of rumors floating around,” McQueen said. “I ask people to be patient and allow MBI to do their job, and we’ll let the chips fall where they may.”
Kyles was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, and the narcotics agent was treated at the scene, said Lowndes County Chief Deputy Marc Miley.
According to the arrest report, Kyles was arrested at the hospital on felony charges of aggravated assault on a police officer, possession of more than one ounce of marijuana and the misdemeanor charge of excessive or unreasonable noise.
Kyles was released from the hospital Sunday and taken to the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center. Bail has not been set for the two felony charges. Bond for the noise charge is $409.
The Columbus police officer is on administrative leave pending the MBI investigation. Local law enforcement agencies routinely place officers on leave and turn the case over to MBI after any incident where an officer discharges a firearm in the line of duty.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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