A man who has been off of his anti-psychotic medicine since December was shot at least twice in a fire fight with Lowndes County deputies this morning, according to Sheriff Butch Howard.
John Rogers Montgomery, who is in his mid-30s and suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, was armed with either a rifle or a handgun when he was shot near his trailer at 249 Askew Road off Highway 45 Alternate.
Howard said five deputies returned fire on Montgomery, hitting him for sure in his upper side and hip. He was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle. His condition is unknown.
“He was kind of like a time bomb waiting to happen,” said Howard, who expressed regret that the shooting happened.
No deputies were injured, he said.
Deputies were in the area today to continue a manhunt for Montgomery that began Sunday, when he threatened family members with a gun.
Montgomery ran into the woods behind his house and evaded capture for seven hours then.
Today, deputies were at a staging area to continue the hunt when Montgomery”s mother slipped past deputies and made her way to her son”s trailer, Howard said. Deputies had just secured her when they spotted Montgomery in his driveway nearby.
Howard said the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has taken over the investigation.
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