Willis out on $1.1M bond in standoff

Willis out on $1.1M bond in standoff

Posted

A prominent family physician wounded in a shootout with law enforcement last month got out of the hospital last week, turned himself in on a string of charges that included six counts of assault on a police officer and is out on a $1.1 million bond.

Dr. Jeffrey Todd Willis turned himself in the afternoon of March 9 on nine charges related to the January standoff, said Sheriff Eric Clark.

Willis, 59, of 13850 Road 602 in northwestern Neshoba County, was accompanied by his attorney.

Willis made his initial appearance in Justice Court and went to the jail and went through the process of posting the $1.1 million bond, Clark said.

The felony charges and bonds are as follows:

• Aggravated assault on a police officer — $150,000.

• Aggravated assault on a police officer — $150,000.

• Aggravated assault on a police officer — $150,000.

• Aggravated assault on a police officer — $150,000.

• Aggravated assault on a police officer — $150,000.

• Aggravated assault on a police officer — $150,000.

• Simple assault on a police officer — $25,000.

• Simple assault on a police officer — $25,000.

• domestic violence-aggravated assault — $50,000.

The charges stem from an incident on Jan. 9, a Saturday. 

“While on scene a standoff ensued between law enforcement and the armed assailant,” Clark initially said in a Facebook post that Saturday night. 

Leake County deputies were called in to assist in the standoff that apparently lasted for some time before the shots were fired and Willis was taken to a Meridian hospital where he survived after surgery for bullet wounds to the chest.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation was notified immediately and took charge Saturday, Clark said.

Road 602, commonly known as the River Road, runs parallel to the Pearl River in northwestern Neshoba County connecting Mississippi 19 north and Mississippi 427 just above Edinburg. 

Willis, a well-known and liked family physician at Neshoba General with no apparent criminal record, is known to be a gun enthusiast and had photos of weapons on his personal Facebook page.

Willis first came to Philadelphia in 1994 as a general practitioner. He is listed as practicing family medicine at the Surgery Clinic of Philadelphia on Holland Avenue, which is part of the county-owned Neshoba General hospital, according to their website.

Clark said he expected Willis’ next court appearance to be in early May.






Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions