Mississippi officer talks about finding son’s body while responding to a call

HAZLEHURST, Miss. (WLBT/Gray News) – When Officer Laquandia Cooley responded to reports of a body in the road early Sunday morning in Mississippi, she found it was her son that was the victim of a fatal gunshot wound.

“We initially responded to the call, not knowing when I made it over there, the person was going to be my son that was laying there,” Cooley told WLBT.

Charles Stewart Jr., 20, was in the middle of the street after being shot in the head.

When Cooley, his mother, arrived at the scene, he had already died - a sight she’ll never forget.

“I couldn’t even believe what I was seeing. I was seeing my own son laying there on the ground dead. It was pretty much a panic. It was just, it was too much,” Cooley said.

Stewart Jr.’s father, Charles Stewart, says he was a good person who got along with everyone and did not bother anyone. So, when he found out that his son was killed, he couldn’t believe it.

“It’s traumatizing for the whole family. We’re just trying to cope day to day, just trying to figure out why this happened and who could have did this,” the victim’s mother said.

Hazlehurst Police Chief Darian Murray says because the case involves an officer’s family member, the case will be handed to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.

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