The Attorney General’s office has found that a line-of-duty shooting in Forrest County in July was justified.

Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office released the following statement on Monday:

“The Office of the Attorney General has completed its review into a July 14, 2022, incident involving an officer-involved shooting in Forrest County, and found the use of force by a Forrest County Sheriff’s Deputy was justified. Pursuant to Section 45-1-6 of the Mississippi Code, the review followed an investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.”

The incident occurred when deputies attempted to serve a civil commitment writ on a man on South Chancellor Street in Hattiesburg.

Shortly after deputies arrived at the address, a man allegedly attacked one of the deputies and they fought. The deputy was beaten with a hammer and the subject received a gunshot wound to the torso.

The deputy was taken to Forrest General Hospital. The subject of the writ died on the scene.