MANGHAM, LA – Once again, we find an individual with absolutely no concern for anyone other than themselves, who is willing to end someone else’s life rather than face accountability for their choices and actions.
A source close to Law Enforcement Today informed us that early Saturday afternoon an officer initiated what he believed was a routine traffic stop after he witnessed a speeding vehicle.
Little did he know that he pulled over a man that had allegedly just finished robbing a pharmacy in Rayville, 12 miles north of the stop.
As the officer exited his patrol car on the side of Highway 425, the suspect stepped out of his vehicle and opened fire, striking the Mangham city officer just below the vest.
He jumped back in the car, which is believed to have been stolen during the robbery, and fled the scene.
According to the Richland Parish Sheriff’s Office, the officer was shot after he initiated a traffic stop on La Highway 425. https://t.co/ugnk4aXTWu
— KNOE 8 News (@KNOE8) October 17, 2020
The officer was airlifted to Rapides Regional Medical Center, where he still remains in critical condition.
Our thoughts and prayers are with this officer, his family and the other law enforcement agencies in the area.
The suspect, 27-year-old Hermandus Dashanski Semien continued south before finally being captured on Highway 562, approximately 22 miles from the shooting near Fort Necessity, LA.
He was captured after crashing the stolen vehicle and multiple law enforcement agencies combining efforts converged, getting him off the street and behind bars.
Franklin Parish Sheriff’s Office has custody of Semien, who was armed when they apprehended him. He has been charged with armed robbery, theft of a motor vehicle, and attempted murder of a police officer.
He may face other charges as the investigation continues. The charge of attempted murder will obviously change if the wounded officer succumbs to his injuries.
It is not currently known if bail has been set or when Semien is set to appear in court.
Law Enforcement Today spoke with the Richland Parish Sheriff’s Office late Saturday. They had no new updates on the officer’s condition, and could not tell us the officer’s name or how long he has been with the Mangham Police Department. Calls to the police department were answered by the RPSO.
We also spoke with the hospital in Alexandria. They were unable to provide any details due to HIPAA . We will continue to monitor the situation and will provide as they become available.
However, The News Star reported that the officer was a full-time EMT and a part time officer.
“Northeast Louisiana Ambulance spokesperson Shane Scott confirmed Marshall Waters, a full-time EMT with NELA EMS and part-time police officer at Mangham, was airlifted to Rapides Medical Center following the shooting. Waters is based at NELA’s Rayville station.
‘Shortly before 7 p.m. (Saturday), Marshall underwent emergency surgery to repair a hemorrhaging femoral artery,’ Scott said. ‘The surgery was successful, and the bleeding is controlled. Aside from the vascular hemorrhage, he has suffered life-threatening injuries. His condition is extremely critical. We are thankful for his medical team at Rapides Regional Medical Center — and we are cautiously optimistic.
He is an individual who spends most, if not all, of his time dedicated to public service and public safety,” Scott explained, also asking members of the community to keep Waters in their prayers.’”
UPDATE: 7:00 p.m. — The bleeding is controlled. UPDATE: 6:45 p.m. — Marshall is undergoing emergency surgery to…
Posted by Northeast Louisiana Ambulance Service on Saturday, October 17, 2020
CHICAGO, IL – An off duty Cook County Probation Officer, eight months pregnant with her third child, was shot to death outside of her South Side Home on October 13th.
Stacey Jones Memorial Fund https://t.co/QPVFDKHfAX
A Cook County Adult Probation Officer who was 8 months pregnant was shot and killed
Oct 13th. Her baby was delivered, but is in critical condition. She also leaves behind two young sons.— ChiCook Officers (@CookOfficer) October 15, 2020
Chicago Police reported that they responded to the Jeffrey Manor neighborhood after receiving a ShotSpotter alert that three gunshots had been fired in the area just after midnight. Sadly, upon their arrival, they located Officer Stacey Jones, unresponsive on the porch of East 95th Place.
Stacey Jones Memorial Fund https://t.co/QPVFDKHfAX
A Cook County Adult Probation Officer who was 8 months pregnant was shot and killed
Oct 13th. Her baby was delivered, but is in critical condition. She also leaves behind two young sons.— ChiCook Officers (@CookOfficer) October 15, 2020
Jones, a mother of two and in her late stage of pregnancy, had two bullet wounds.
A neighbor, Elliott Cobb said:
“They weren’t quick shots, we heard three measured shots, and whoever did it, wanted to do it.”
Another neighbor, Alan Jones, claimed he never heard any signs of any distress coming from Jones’ home, only the gun shots.
He said:
“No screaming, no noise, just two shots.”
After Jones’ was located, she was rushed to the University of Chicago Hospital for medical treatment in critical condition. Sadly, she was not able to be saved by doctors and was pronounced deceased.
Stacey Jones, who was 8 months pregnant, was shot and killed outside of her home. Her baby was delivered at Comer Children’s. We’re learning she was a probation officer in Cook County. The latest on the investigation on @nbcchicago at 6pm. pic.twitter.com/FkDyVnylzT
— Lisa Chavarria NBC5 (@LisaChavarria) October 13, 2020
Doctors were able to deliver the baby. The baby is being held in the Comer Children’s Hospital, and is listed in critical condition.
The Chief Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court, Timothy Evans, noted that Jones had been an officer there for Adult probationers since April of 2019.
He said:
“Our thoughts go out to her family, colleagues and friends at this difficult time.”
Claudia Martin started one of two GoFundMe pages for Jones’ family during this difficult time.
On the page, Martin says:
“Stacey Jones was a loving mother of two children whose life was cut short by a senseless act of violence. She was pregnant with her third child who was delivered and remains in the Comer Children’s Hospital in critical condition.
“Stacey was a Cook County Adult Probation Officer who worked with offenders providing resources, monitoring and guidance in an effort to assist them in changing their lives. This page has been set to help pay for funeral expenses, medical care for her newborn, as well as provide for her children’s education.”
A friend of Jones, Nicholas Minor, spoke about the tragic murder of his friend and coworker:
“This is truly, like, tragedy; just waking up to hear this news that your coworker that you see every single day is gone…I just saw her on Friday, and she was telling me how happy she was that she was about to have a baby…
“Stacy was a very perky person, you knw, always had a smile every morning coming to work. Every day, every time I saw her she’d say, ‘Hi Nick!’”
Minor spoke about the loss of Stacy to her friends and her work in saying that Jones loved what she did, but her pride was her children. He noted that not only did the murderer steal her life, but he or she robbed her children of a loving and proud mother.
Another neighbor, Tracy Hancock, lost a niece to gun violence in 2012. Learning of Jones’ death hit a nerve with her.
She said:
“She [her niece] left four kids that we had to raise, and they’re still traumatized. This touched me really bad, in my heart, in my stomach. I couldn’t go back to sleep. I heard it at 6 o’clock in this morning. I’m praying for the baby, that the baby comes through.”
Chicago Police advised that Area Two detectives are currently assigned to the case, and they have yet to release any possible motive. However, they did note that they discovered graffiti on the side of Jones’ apartment which had a negative racial term, however, they believe that it was placed there to distract them from their investigation.
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