New details emerge in ‘ambush’ of Biloxi police officer

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) – Court documents revealed new details in what police are calling an ambush of a Biloxi police officer.

Officer Robert McKeithen died Sunday night after he was gunned downed outside the Biloxi Police Department headquarters.

Police arrested Darian Atkinson on a charge of capital murder, identifying him as the man responsible for killing McKeithen.

Court documents said a man, who police have identified as Atkinson, walked behind the officer and fired multiple rounds, ultimately striking the officer. The document then said the suspect ran north through the parking lot and out of view of the camera.

Police said before the shooting, video surveillance captured Atkinson entering the station wearing a black T-shirt, navy blue shorts and a rolled up red skull beanie with dark high tops. Court documents said investigators learned of Atkinson’s identity through a tip, which came from Crime Stoppers. The tip identified him as the man seen in the surveillance footage.

Family members of Atkinson also told investigators they believed the man was Atkinson. They said they recognized the red hat seen in the footage.

On Monday, May 6 around 1:10 p.m. Gulfport detectives interviewed a witness who said he or she is an acquaintance of Atkinson. The witness told investigators the man was Darian Atkinson and he or she received a call from Atkinson around 4:20 a.m. and asked him why he did it, and he replied with an incriminating statement.

The court documents do not say what that statement was.

Atkinson was captured and arrested Monday night.

He made his first initial court appearance Wednesday morning before a judge at the Harrison County Jail. The judge officially read Atkinson his charges, discussed legal representation and the next steps.

Darian’s 21-year-old brother is also charged in the officer’s death. Davian Atkinson was formally charged with accessory after the fact in the officer’s death. Davian’s charge is because he is accused of transporting Darian and allowing him to make phone calls while he was on the run from police.

Darian is being held without bond because he is charged with capital murder. Davian has a bond set of $500,000.

Darian has been in trouble in the past, but Gulfport Police Chief Leonard Papania said “there’s nothing that would indicate this” in reference to Darian’s past.

He was accused of making a threat to “shoot up” the school just two weeks after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.