Video: One Year Later – Lowndes County Deputies Talk About Surviving Ambush

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LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – It was one year ago today that two Lowndes County Sheriff’s Deputies, checking on the well-being of a resident, were ambushed by a lone gunmen with a high powered rifle. Both deputies survived and now one is speaking about his recovery.

“Physical therapy. A lot of hard work on our part and the willingness to get back to the job and get back out serving the public,” says Lieutenant Clint Sims who was wounded on March 18, 2014 during an ambush.

Lieutenants Clint Sims and Larry Swearingen are back at work after suffering gunshot wounds a year ago when a routine call turned violent. Kent Coscia was arrested and charged for the shooting Simms and his partner Lieutenant Larry Swearingen. Sims says his faith and community support helped him get through it.

“I saw first hand through the community the power of prayer. I firmly believe it helped myself and Lieutenant Swearingen’s road to recovery. It kind of restores your faith in mankind to see a community come together like that,” says Sims.

Sims believes there’s nothing they could have done to prevent the attack.

“Based on the information that we had that day and based on the circumstances surrounding the event leading up to that day, I firmly believe and I stand by my decision on what we done, was the best we could do that day under the circumstances,” says Sims.

Both Sims and Swearingen have had multiple surgeries since the incident. Swearingen is already back to his regular schedule but was unavailable for this interview. Sims is working part-time and hopes to be cleared to work full-time next week. He says the shooting incident has not changed his passion to serve.

“When it actually happens to you, it’s a really sombering effect. It really hammers it home what our job is and I wouldn’t change my job for anything in the world,” says Sims.

Alleged shooter Coscia is still being held in Monroe County for a mental health evaluation before he goes to trial.