NATCHEZ – The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office has concluded that the use of deadly force by two Adams County sheriff’s deputies in the shooting of a suspect on July 16, 2023, was justified.

Officers shot and killed Charoyd Henrence Bell, 43, of 564 Old Highway 84, No. 3, that day after Bell pointed a gun at the victim of the incident from his porch and began standing next to officers.

An officer was flagged down by a woman, later identified as Georgia Chatman, who had run into the road while they were patrolling Old US Highway 84 that Sunday morning.

Chatman told officers that she had been kidnapped and assaulted by Bell, her on-off boyfriend, Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten said at the time of the incident.

The officer immediately called for backup and continued speaking with the victim, Chatman.

While the deputy was talking to Chatman, Bell approached the deputy and the victim, and Bell and the victim continued to talk, Patten said. The deputy, who was guarding the scene, was able to get Bell to return to the yard while he tried to question Chatman further.

Patten said a second deputy arrived at the scene by then. Patten said Bell walked away from his car and sat on the porch of the house while the two deputies continued to question Chatman.

“At approximately 10:09 a.m., officers called out shots fired on their portable radios,” Patten said. “The suspect had grabbed a handgun, aimed it at the victim, who was standing next to the two officers, and began firing at the victim from his yard while running toward the victim and our officers.”

The victim and officers took cover behind the patrol cars as the suspect continued to shoot and advance toward them, Patten said.

“As the suspect passed behind one of the patrol units, he continued to fire his weapon and shot Chatman in the abdomen. The deputy, who was standing behind that patrol unit, fell to the ground, but was able to return fire as he fell, striking the suspect, who then fell to the ground,” he said.

Adams County Deputy Police Chief Shane Daugherty said Wednesday that the two deputies, whose identities were not released by the sheriff’s office per protocol, have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations’ investigation.

“They were placed on paid administrative leave and required to undergo mental health counseling,” Daugherty said. “When we received word from the MBI that the shooting was within the use of force parameters and their investigation would not be pursued, and received the OK from the psychologist, they returned to duty after a short period of time. That is our policy with anyone in the Sheriff’s Office who is involved in a critical incident.”