A Mississippi deputy is paralyzed from the waist down after he was shot during a traffic stop earlier this week.
Covington County Sheriff's Deputy Yates Rodney pulled over an SUV on Monday when he saw the driver wasn't wearing a seat belt, WLBT-TV reports. During the stop, Rodney spotted possible drugs and other contraband inside the vehicle.
That's when the SUV fled the stop, and Rodney gave chase. The pursuit ended when the vehicle became stuck in Mount Olive, and Rodney ordered the suspects—later identified as brothers Cortavion and Cortavious Hobbs—out of the SUV.
The passenger exited the vehicle and laid on the ground. The driver, however, continued to try to free the SUV.
When another deputy arrived to help, the passenger got up and shot Rodney. The brothers fled on foot as the other deputy returned fire.
A 10-hour manhunt ensued, with other law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service, joining the search. A tip led authorities to a Mount Olive residence, and the brothers had been hiding underneath the home.
The brothers were arrested, and they were charged with two counts of attempted capital murder and hindering prosecution.
The bullet that struck Rodney penetrated his spinal cord, Mississippi Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson, a family friend who visited the deputy in the hospital, told WLBT.
"He asked me to ask everyone out there to pray that he would walk again," Gipson said. "That’s my prayer. It can happen. We are praying not only for him but for his wife. They were just married. This is a young couple that’s 20-something years old. They are dealing with something that they never thought they would have to deal with."
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help Rodney and his family. An emergency blood drive in Hattiesburg on Wednesday was also organized to help the deputy.
