Two people hospitalized after officer-involved crash in Columbus
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Details have been released on a car crash that sent a Columbus Police Officer and another person to the hospital this afternoon.
Columbus Police received word that a felony suspect from West Point had been spotted at a home in the 800 block of 14th Street North Columbus.
The SWAT Team was deployed to the home.
Officers surrounded the home and evacuated several children and 2 adults.
During a search, they found Travis Morris.
As they attempted to take him into custody, police say he resisted, briefly escaped, but was caught.
Officers caught him again, and loaded him into a vehicle.
At that point, he reportedly bit an officer.
The officer called for assistance.
An officer responding to the assistance call was travelling east on College Street with lights and sirens activated.
The Police cruiser collided with another vehicle entering the 22nd Street South and College Street intersection.
The officer and the other driver were taken to Baptist Golden Triangle with what are described as non-life threatening injuries.
The officer who was bitten was also treated.
Travis Morris was taken to the Lowndes County Jail.
Columbus Police Chief Joseph Daughtry said when a person is being arrested they can become violent and unpredictable.
Even when detained in a cruiser, they can still be a danger to themselves or others.
“People are very irate,” Daughtry said. “They bust through windows. They kick windows out. They’ve jumped out and ran. When I worked with the Jackson Police Department I had a coworker that was transporting one to the jail, kicked out the window, ran and his partner was shot and killed by that individual. So it can be a very dangerous situation. He can hurt himself and also hurt the officer. But we’re trying to get it under control, get him in the jail, and try to defuse the situation as much as possible.”
The crash is being investigated by the Lowndes County Sheriffs office to avoid any conflicts of interest.
Chief Daughtry also said the public should use caution when filming and posting scenes of accidents as family of potential victims may have not yet been notified.
