Three officers with the Jackson Police Department are on administrative leave after a person died in their custody last week. 

Officers responded to a service call near 500 E. Beasley Road Saturday night and took a person into custody who experienced a medical emergency, according to a news release from the department. An ambulance was called, but the person, who has not been identified, died at the scene. 

Officers Avery Willis, Kenya McCarty and James Land will remain on leave until an internal police investigation is complete, according to Jackson police. 

“The Jackson Police Department is committed to community-oriented policing and providing relevant information to the public, however, until both internal and external investigations conclude, the department will make no further comments,” the department said in its release.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which investigates officer shootings statewide, is also investigating. In statements from JPD and the city, the incident was described as an “officer-involved incident” rather than a shooting. 

“The loss of life is always tragic and we remain committed to transparency,” Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said in a Wednesday statement from the city. 

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3 JPD officers on leave following individual’s death in custody

by Mina Corpuz, Mississippi Today
January 4, 2023

<h1>3 JPD officers on leave following individual’s death in custody</h1> <p class="byline">by Mina Corpuz, Mississippi Today <br />January 4, 2023</p> <p>Three officers with the Jackson Police Department are on administrative leave after a person died in their custody last week.&nbsp;</p> <p>Officers responded to a service call near 500 E. Beasley Road Saturday night and took a person into custody who experienced a medical emergency, according to a news release from the department. An ambulance was called, but the person, who has not been identified, died at the scene.&nbsp;</p> <p>Officers Avery Willis, Kenya McCarty and James Land will remain on leave until an internal police investigation is complete, according to Jackson police.&nbsp;</p> <p>"The Jackson Police Department is committed to community-oriented policing and providing relevant information to the public, however, until both internal and external investigations conclude, the department will make no further comments," the department said in its release.</p> <p>The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which investigates officer shootings statewide, is also investigating. In statements from JPD and the city, the incident was described as an “officer-involved incident” rather than a shooting.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The loss of life is always tragic and we remain committed to transparency,” Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said in a Wednesday statement from the city.&nbsp;</p> <p>This <a target="_blank" href="https://mississippitoday.org/2023/01/04/3-jpd-officers-leave/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://mississippitoday.org">Mississippi Today</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://i0.wp.com/mississippitoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/MT_square-thumb.jpg?fit=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;"><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://mississippitoday.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=1088077" style="width:1px;height:1px;"></p> Copy to Clipboard

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