Attorney General Teams up with State, Federal Law Enforcement to Offer Free Training

Attorney General Jim Hood

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, the United States Attorney’s Office, the Regional Counterdrug Training Academy (RCTA) and the Law Enforcement Alliance for Peer Support (LEAPS) have teamed up to offer five free officer involved shooting trainings, which will be conducted across the state.

The first training took place Monday in Columbus on the Mississippi University for Women Campus. “We greatly appreciate the cooperation and efforts made by the Lowndes County District Attorney’s Office, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and the Columbus Police Department to help make this training a success with an exceptional turn out,” said Attorney General Hood.

Prerequisites of the Course: A participant must be a law enforcement officer, an officer assigned to investigate officer involved shootings, a behavioral health professional, a chaplain, a prosecutor and/or a dispatcher assigned to emergency communications.

Description of the Course: This course will discuss the physical, emotional, cognitive, social, departmental and other changes that may occur as a result of any officer involved shooting. Potential results occurring before, during and after of the event will be detailed. Considerations of the initial investigations, follow up investigations, grand jury issues, public sentiment issues and the welfare of the responding individual will be examined. Other issues discussed will include the legal parameters for use of lethal force, statutory and case law pertinent to an officer’s use of lethal force, evidence, interview of the shooter and witnesses, reports, news media and return to duty.

There are currently four more trainings scheduled:

Thursday, August 20 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Gautier, MS Jefferson Community College2300 Highway 90
Tuesday, September 1 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Robinsonville, MS TBA
Thursday, September 17 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Greenwood, MS TBA
Tuesday, September 22 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. McComb, MS TBA
“These trainings provide substantial and timely information for all of our law enforcement community,” said Attorney General Hood. “We encourage all Mississippi law enforcement officers, investigative officers, behavioral health professionals, chaplains, prosecutors and dispatchers to sign up and take advantage of this free training.”