LOWNDES COUNTY, Mississippi — Two people were arrested Monday after Lowndes County deputies located a vehicle flagged in a be-on-the-lookout alert from the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office, authorities said.
Lowndes County E-911 received the request at approximately 2:32 p.m. from Lamar County, Alabama, regarding 39-year-old Justin Morris, who was wanted in connection with a domestic violence incident and believed to be armed and agitated. Sheriff Eddie Hawkins and Deputy Jacob Stoll found the white Toyota van at the Steens Superette and detained two people without incident, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies said Morris, who had been a passenger, was carrying two large fixed-blade knives in sheaths on his belt and brass knuckles in his back pocket. Deputies observed a rifle in the front passenger seat. The driver, 31-year-old Ashley Nicole Boyd, had visible facial injuries consistent with an assault; Boyd told deputies Morris had assaulted her at his mother’s residence in Lamar County, the sheriff’s office said.
A K-9 deputy alerted to the presence of illegal narcotics during an open-air sniff, giving officers probable cause to search the vehicle. Deputies found a shotgun and marijuana inside the van. Boyd voluntarily surrendered additional marijuana and a methamphetamine pipe she had concealed on her person, the office said.
Morris was charged with possession of a concealed weapon. Boyd was charged with possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle and possession of drug paraphernalia. Both were taken to the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center; a hold has been placed on Morris for the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office pending its investigation and additional charges may be filed, officials said.
“This case demonstrates the importance of strong partnerships between neighboring law enforcement agencies,” Sheriff Eddie Hawkins said, praising the quick exchange of information and coordinated response. “Because of the quick exchange of information and the swift actions of our deputies, we were able to safely locate an armed suspect and take him into custody without injury to the public or law enforcement officers.”
This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
