Coast fugitive caught, brought in by deputy

Coast fugitive caught, brought in by deputy

Posted

A Neshoba County Sheriff’s deputy is being credited with bringing back into custody a fugitive  who escaped authorities on Nov. 26 while recovering in a Pascagoula hospital.

Sheriff Eric Clark said deputy Lavon Ball helped bring Aceon Hopkins, 20, of Meridian into the custody of the Meridian Police Department about 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning, Nov. 30.

Clark said Ball knew Hopkins’ family from his time working with the Meridian Police Department. Ball had been in contact with the family about Hopkins turning himself in after he escaped the custody of Moss Point authorities while recovering at the Pascagoula Hospital on Nov. 26. 

Clark said Hopkins’ mother told Ball that he needed medical treatment and agreed to meet Ball at Neshoba General Hospital at midnight on Monday.

Clark said he does not know the extent of Hopkins wounds but knows that he was reportedly on crutches and had escaped the custody of Moss Point authorities while recovering at the Pascagoula Hospital on Nov. 26. Local news reports said Hopkins was in the hospital from wounds sustained in a shooting more than two weeks ago.

Clark said Ball sat with the family and was able to monitor Hopkins while he underwent treatment at Neshoba General. Clark said that Hopkins signed himself out at Neshoba General and got into Ball’s personal vehicle and Ball drove him to Meridian.

The deputy then facilitated bringing Hopkins into Meridian Police Department custody at Anderson Hospital in Meridian.

“Deputy Ball was off duty and went above and beyond what would be asked of him to see this through using personal contacts and his own vehicle,” Clark said. “We would have loved for him to be in uniform and have been in one of our patrol cars as a full representative of our department, but we are glad he was able to see this through.”

Clark said that he knows Hopkins faces felony charges in Meridian and Jackson County.

It has been reported that Hopkins’ charges with the Meridian Police Department include shooting into a vehicle, drive-by shooting, possession of a stolen firearm, two counts of shooting into a dwelling and two counts of aggravated assault.

Local news reports on the Mississippi Coast say that Hopkins has not yet been charged related to the shooting in Moss Point and that the shooting remains under investigation. The report says he is wanted in Gulfport for felony drug charges.






Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions