Hattiesburg police chief urges reforms after 2015 killings

Hattiesburg Police Chief Hardy Sims urged reforms to improve officer safety and mental health services while honoring two officers killed in the line of duty on May 9, 2015, he wrote in a Facebook post.

Sims said the deaths of Benjamin Deen and Liquori Tate left him and the community with profound grief and disbelief. He recalled consoling others at Forrest General Hospital and called the episode the most difficult in his nearly 34 years of service.

In the post, Sims said surrounding departments quickly assisted and that investigators “broke the case” within hours, beginning the process of bringing those responsible to justice. He described an unprecedented outpouring of community support, vigils and conversations about the mental and emotional toll faced by law enforcement officers.

Sims wrote that as Police Week approaches, the community should channel grief into “actionable change” by advocating reforms that enhance officer safety, back mental health initiatives and encourage community involvement in policing. “May we never forget Deen and Tate,” he wrote.