The traffic stop that led to Ricky Ball’s shooting death by a Columbus police officer Friday night was initiated because the vehicle did not have a light illuminating the license plate, careless driving and lack of insurance, according to Police Chief Tony Carleton.
The chief and Mayor Robert Smith went on a local radio station Wednesday to talk about the circumstances around Ball’s death.
Ball, 26, was shot by a CPD officer about 10 p.m. Friday. He was transported to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle and pronounced dead roughly an hour later. Authorities have said Ball was a passenger in the vehicle that a CPD attempted to pull over near 14th Avenue North and 21 Street North. Authorities say Ball fled the scene and a struggle ensued, before he was shot.
The city has released few other details regarding the circumstances that led to the shooting, which the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is investigating.
Carleton, appearing on the “Karriem and Company” radio show Wednesday, stressed that city officials are limited in what they can say while MBI conducts its investigation.
“(MBI) told us what they do not want us to release,” he said.
Carleton said he told MBI officials Wednesday that he, other city officials and the community are concerned about what happened and “we’re asking for more information to be released.”
Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant said two bullets were removed from Ball’s body during an autopsy at the state Crime Lab in Jackson on Monday — one from his upper body, one from the lower portion. Merchant declined to say where Ball had been shot.
Authorities have not said if Ball was armed at the time of the incident.
Authorities also have not identified the driver of the vehicle Ball was riding in.
The mayor, during Wednesday’s radio appearance, said several people have claimed the driver was a female and police informant. The mayor said that was not true.
“I can attest this morning that it has been checked out through the city and county, that normally has a list of informants, that she was not an informant,” Smith said.
Video footage
Carleton said during the radio interview that he has reviewed video footage from the Friday incident. Carleton said he viewed the footage following Tuesday’s city council meeting, which a crowd attended and many people voiced displeasure in the way the city has responded to the incident.
During the meeting, Carleton told the council that he had not watched any body camera footage from the incident.
Wednesday, he said he did so after the meeting.
“I’ve watched several videos,” Carleton said. “After the council meeting (Tuesday) night, we certainly watched several videos, and then this morning I’ve watched several videos.”
The Dispatch has submitted a public records request for video and audio footage, as well as an incident report from the Friday incident.
Response times
Columbus Fire Chief Martin Andrews joined Carleton and Smith on the radio show to address concerns about emergency response times from the incident.
Kamal Karriem, the show’s host and a former Columbus councilman, said some concern was circulating over a potentially slow response.
Andrews said his department received a call at approximately 10:11 p.m. and a crew was dispatched within 50 seconds. They arrived on scene at about 10:14 p.m. and, after securing the scene, located Ball at about 10:30 p.m.
Andrews said it took time to locate Ball because he’d been running from officers. Ball is believed to have hid from officers beneath a home in the 1900 block of 14th Avenue North.
“All records are kept and we are free and open to anyone that would like to see those response times,” Andrew said. “It was a very quick response time for that time of night. It was just a tragic incident.”
Ready for charges, if needed
Little information is available about what happened after Ball jumped out of the vehicle to flee from officers.
However, during the show, Smith and Carleton were asked if they were willing to issue or support punishment against the officer, if MBI’s investigation found any wrongdoing.
Both said they would support any necessary punishment, up to criminal charges, if necessary.
“I am certainly prepared to do that,” Carleton said. “That’s exactly what our internal affairs division does. So we are exactly ready to do that.”
Smith agreed.
“Whatever the outcome — like I’ve said from the beginning — whether it’s good or bad, if it’s criminal charges, they will be filed,” he said.
Later in the discussion, Carleton said the District Attorney’s office would present any potential charges to a grand jury, if MBI finds any criminal wrongdoing.
“If the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation found that an officer did something wrong, they would be the ones to present something to the DA’s office and the grand jury,” Carleton said. “It would not be us.”
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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