A former Starkville police officer who previously was indicted for felony aggravated assault has pleaded guilty instead to misdemeanor simple assault.
Gary Wheeler fired his service weapon into a car during an attempted traffic stop and wounded Zyterrious Gandy, who was 19 at the time, in three places on June 3, 2017. An Oktibbeha County grand jury’s felony indictment in 2018 reads Wheeler showed “extreme indifference to the value of human life.”
Wheeler entered a guilty plea Jan. 26 to simple assault — negligently causing serious bodily injury to another with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to six months in jail, all of which are suspended, six months unsupervised probation and a $300 fine.
The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case, including presenting it to the grand jury for the felony indictment. Chief of Staff Michelle Williams said Wednesday that after reviewing the evidence presented and due to the MBI investigation, the office felt a plea of simple assault was in the best interest of justice. She also said it is not uncommon for aggravated assault charges like this to be changed to simple assault.
After Gandy allegedly robbed the Sprint Mart at the intersection of Highway 12 and South Montgomery Street in Starkville, an early morning pursuit followed involving several officers. Officers attempted a traffic stop in the South Wedgewood Road area, according to previous reporting from The Dispatch, and Gandy backed into a patrol car. Wheeler fired into Gandy’s car after Gandy attempted to drive away.
Gandy was soon captured after attempting to flee on foot.
Wheeler left the Starkville Police Department after the incident and moved to the Mississippi State University Police Department, but he resigned from that position following the indictment.
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