Mississippi - Sheriff's Deputy Involved in Fatal Shooting of Black Man

James Tillman's baseball cap lies near a ditch in Lexington where his body fell after he was fatally shot early Sunday morning. "One of my deputies was involved in a shooting," said Holmes County Sheriff Willie March.  The Sheriff says the investigation is continuing as to why his deputy fired at Tillman. "Why, why, why? Explain why did that happen?" asked Tilman's sister Valerie.  Tillman's family is grieving and wondering how the situation escalated into such violence. Around 4 in the morning Sunday, a sheriff's deputy responded to a report of simple assault at the Yellow Tree Club. A woman claimed Tillman beat her outside the club, say witnesses, who also say that when the deputy arrived, Tillman fled on foot.  The officer followed. "That's where he pulled out his weapon," said James Bankhead, who witnessed the chase around a trailer.  Tillman led the officer down an incline and into the woods, where no witnesses were able to see,  but they heard a single gunshot."I ran down here then the police turned around and pulled out the gun at me and said, 'Get back up the hill,' so i ran back up there," said Tillman's friend Hercules Stewart.  Stewart said he could see Tillman lying in a ditch and bleeding, shot in the stomach. Tillman died after being transported to University Hospital in Jackson. [more ]

• Chief pledges full investigation of incident [more ]