Authorities say Ricky Ball pointed a pistol at a Columbus police officer before being fatally shot on the night of Oct. 16.
The Dispatch on Thursday obtained an incident report from the shooting. The narrative from the report — which contains an Oct. 28 date — reads: “Subject fled passenger side of motor vehicle stopped for traffic violations, resisted arrest. Officer tased subject. Subject pointed pistol at officer. Officer shot subject. Subject ran off. Lowndes County Sheriff Office brought K-9 unit. Subject located lying on ground with gunshot wound. Property involved recovered near subject. Subject taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle by ambulance. Mississippi Bureau of Investigation contacted and arrived on scene.”
The traffic stop occurred about 10:08 a.m. near 21st Street North. The reason for the stop was no insurance, no light above the license plate and careless driving, according to authorities.
Authorities say Ball was found laying a block and a half away from the site of the traffic stop. A Taurus 9mm was “within arm’s reach” from where he lay, according to authorities. That pistol, authorities say, was reported stolen from a Columbus police officer’s home in August.
Marijuana was also found near Ball, according to authorities.
MBI is conducting forensic exams on both the 9mm and marijuana to determine if Ball ever possessed them, according to CPD.
Ball later died at the hospital from blood loss, according to Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant.
Authorities say there were three officers in the vehicle that stopped the car Ball, 26, was a passenger in. Canyon Boykin, one of the officers, was fired by the city council Friday. The other two — Johnny Branch and Yolanda Young — were suspended.
None of the officers had activated their body cameras prior to or during the shooting. There was a civilian — Alisha Stanford — riding with the officers at the time of the stop, too.
Police Chief Tony Carleton, who has resigned, told The Dispatch on Friday it is not uncommon for multiple officers to ride in one patrol car. However, Carleton said having an unauthorized civilian in a patrol car is a violation of police policy.
“We don’t do that,” he said. “That’s not allowed.”
William Browning was managing editor for The Dispatch until June 2016.
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