CORINTH — A Corinth police officer has been discharged from a North Mississippi hospital, two days after being shot at close range during a struggle with a man.
“He is still sore with a hole in his left shoulder, but he is in real good spirits. He was ready to get out of the hospital and back to work,” Corinth Police Chief Ralph Dance told The Daily Corinthian.
Officer Kevin Parker Jr. was released from a Tupelo hospital on Thursday.
A reward now stands at $11,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the shooting of Parker. Authorities are looking for a black male who stands 5-9 and weighs between 200-250 pounds.
“The MBI (Mississippi Bureau of Investigation) is following up on everything,” said Dance. “They have been getting a lot of calls and checked everything which has come in.”
Police said Parker was checking a home in regards to a call about a prowler Wednesday when a man ran in front of the patrol car. Parker attempted to take the man into custody, but the men scuffled and Parker was shot twice with his own service weapon.
One bullet hit his chest and was stopped by a bulletproof vest. The other bullet went through his shoulder.
Parker has been a member of the police department for about seven months.
“The outcry of support from the community and other law enforcement agencies has been tremendous . I know Kevin’s family is very appreciative,” Dance said.
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