BREAKING – New Details On Events Prior To Shumpert Shooting

>> TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – The car driven by 37 year old Ronnie Shumpert the evening of June 18th,  was initially spotted at a motel known for drug activity, causing officers with Tupelo’s Street Crimes Unit to follow the car, and attempting to stop it for a traffic violation.
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>> Police followed the car from the Town House Motel, on South Gloster, to Harrison and Van Buren Streets. Police say a license plate light was not working and the driver failed to signal.  Shumpert bolted from the car when officers flashed their blue lights for the traffic violations.
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>> A short time later, a K9 named Alec, and his handler, Officer Tyler Cook, tracked Shumpert to a crawl space in back of 916 Harrison.
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COOK

>> Officials say Shumpert came out of the crawl space, fighting the officer and the K9.  Officer Cook shot Shumpert several times.  Shumpert died after undergoing surgery at NMMC.  Shumpert was unarmed, but officials say Shumpert was on top of Officer Cook, hitting him in the face, when he was shot.
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>> That information was released during an afternoon press conference at Tupelo City Hall.  For two weeks now, the city has been split with tensions as some claim the incident shows officers practice ‘racial profiling,’ and discrimination.
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>> Those assertions have been made by Grenada Attorney Carlos Moore, who filed a $35 million civil rights lawsuit against the city.
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>> The car Shumpert was driving belonged to his friend, Charles Foster.  Foster exited the car, with his hands up after the traffic stop.  Officials say Foster was never arrested, but was questioned, and released a few hours later, without being charged.   Both Foster and Shumpert played on the semipro football team, the Lee County TiCats.
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>> During one news conference, Moore displayed photos of Shumpert, taken at a funeral home.  Moore blasted police for allowing the K9 to “annihilate” Mr. Shumpert.
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>> Sources tell WCBI the dog, Alec, is at least ten years old, and has no canine teeth.  Sources also say Alec broke his canines off several years ago when he tried to chew his way out of a kennel and he even requires a special diet because he can’t properly chew regular food.
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>> WCBI has discovered that a utility light in the backyard of 916 Harrison has not been operational for some time, and a homeowner, who lives directly in back of the house did not see anything that evening, though he did hear several gunshots.
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>> Currently, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is conducting an inquiry into the shooting, while Officer Cook is on administrative leave with pay. Officer Cook is receiving protection, because death threats have been made against him.
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>> Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton has also asked the Department of Justice to host a public forum, to hopefully east tensions as the investigation unfolds.