TATE COUNTY, Miss. — A fatal officer-involved shooting in Tate County involving a man wanted by deputies on a domestic violence warrant has taken another deadly turn.
Investigators discovered the body of a woman reported to have had a relationship with Keith Cole, a man who was killed Thursday by a Tate County deputy.
Tate County Sheriff Brad Lance says Danielle Cook, the woman found dead Sunday in a mobile home off Highway 305, recently filed two complaints against Cole.
Cole was fatally shot Thursday by a Tate County Deputy along a stretch of Highway 4, just a few miles from Cook’s mobile home.
Sheriff Lance said deputies had an active domestic violence warrant for Cole when he was spotted driving in the Looxahoma community Thursday. He pulled off the highway, bailed out of his vehicle and ran into the woods.
According to the sheriff, Cole ran a couple of hundred yards and laid down behind a tree, attempting to hide from the deputy. Lance said the deputy spotted Cole and was within a few feet of the man when Cole jumped up.
The details are confirmed by police body cameras, Lance said.
“While his body was turned sideways to the deputy, the deputy could see the left hand but could not see the right hand,” Lance said. “It appeared he hand his right hand in his waistband and all in one motion, he made movements that caused the deputy to believe he was in danger, so he fired his weapon, fired it twice, striking Mr. Cole twice.”
The complaints against Cole were malicious mischief involving damage to some tires, and kidnap/assault allegation, Lance said.
Cole’s family has expressed their concerns over the way the situation was handled and don’t believe the deputy should have fatally shot Cole.
The sheriff says he met with the family and showed them the body camera footage.
“They did express concerns,” Lance said. “I certainly don’t want to — that was a discussion we had in this office and I certainly don’t want to betray their confidence. They voiced concerns. They had valid concerns. I answered the questions that I could answer that they did have.”
The sheriff called this a tragic set of circumstances which multiple families are suffering through.
We reached out to some of Keith Cole’s family members for interviews but have been unsuccessful.
The deputy involved is on administrative leave as the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation takes the lead on the officer-involved shooting incident.