WPPD Makes Arrests Burglary Suspect, Investigating Separate Armed Robbery Case

Thomas

WEST POINT, Miss. (Press Release) — The West Point Police Department is investigating two crimes in the city that occurred Sunday night and Monday morning.

On Sunday night, police were dispatched about 7 p.m. to the Internet Café on Hwy. 50 West in reference to an armed robbery. Employees and witnesses on the scene reported that a man entered the business and displayed what appeared to be a small caliber handgun.

After demanding that all the patrons in the business remain seated; the suspect pointed the gun at the clerk and asked her to put money in a bag. The clerk put an undisclosed amount of cash in a bag and the man fled south on foot. He is described as a black male, approximately 5-foot-8-inches tall, wearing a black coat, dark pants and eyeglasses. He also reportedly had a toboggan on his head, and was said to have an average build.

In a separate incident, police were dispatched about 9:05 a.m. to a residence on the West City Limits Road in reference to a person awaking to find someone inside the home. The caller described the burglar as a black male wearing a gray sweater and Khaki pants. Minutes later, police spotted a subject in the immediate vicinity fitting the description and detained him for questioning.

Police arrested 35-year-old Darrell Thomas, of 704 South Division, West Point. He has been charged with burglary of an occupied dwelling and aggravated assault on a police officer. Bond was set at $10,000 for the Burglary charge, and $50,000 for the aggravated assault charge.

The assault charges stem from circumstances related to the arrest in which one of the arresting officers sustained a broken ankle during the scuffle. Mr. Thomas is currently being held in the Clay County Detention Center. The injured officer, whose name is not being released, is in good condition and recovering from his injury.

The injured law enforcement officer is not a West Point police officer, but an officer of a state agency who was in the area and assisting in apprehending the suspect.

“Every time officers encounter felony suspects and are forced to affect an arrest, there is the potential for resistance and/or an assault on the officer which could result in injury,” West Point Police Chief Tim Brinkley said.

These cases are still under investigation, and anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-530-7151 or the West Point Police Department at 662-494-1244.