Suspect in Miss. police killings had a criminal record

Associated Press

BROOKHAVEN, Miss. — Marquis Aaron Flowers, the suspect in the fatal shooting of two Brookhaven police officers early Saturday, has had run-ins with the law before.

In March 2017, Flowers — while wearing an electronic ankle monitor — was charged with fleeing or eluding a law enforcement officer the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, and stealing a vehicle by Natchez police, in connection with a high-speed chase the previous month.

He was 24 at the time, and living 426 East Independence St. — the same address given by investigators following his arrest Saturday in connection with the murders of Brookhaven policemen Zach Moak, 31; and Kevin James White, 35, at a home at 600 North Sixth St.

On Feb. 22, 2017, Flowers was accused of fleeing when a deputy attempted to make a traffic stop for a seat belt violation. Due to the high-speed chase entering an area of high traffic around Walmart, the deputy called the chase off.

Natchez police officers then spotted the vehicle traveling approximately 70 miles per hour and gave chase until Flowers allegedly abandoned the car in the Melrose-Montebello area and fled on foot.

A Natchez officer said when Flowers abandoned the vehicle, he allegedly ran into neighborhood and tried opening up vehicle doors until he found a 2014 GMC pickup truck with the keys inside. Flowers reportedly took the truck back to Brookhaven, police said.

Adams County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Jerry Brown said the warrant for arrest was originally issued for another Brookhaven man, Jawon Williams.

Brown said either because the vehicle was registered to Williams, or because he had left some identification inside, deputies originally believed Williams to be the suspect and issued the warrant for his arrest.

However, Brown said Williams contacted the sheriff’s office to say he had reportedly allowed Flowers, who is a relative of Williams’, to use the vehicle.

Flowers later turned himself in.

When Flowers ran he was wearing an electronic monitor and was on probation for vehicle burglary in Lincoln County, said Adams County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Lt. Cal Green.

Court documents show Lincoln County Circuit Judge David Strong revoked Flowers’ post-release supervision in January, 2015, and sentenced him to serve a previously-suspended three years in prison. His original sentence was handed down in January 2012 — five years to serve on numerous counts surrounding auto burglary.

Mississippi probation and parole officers verified with the monitor Flowers was in Adams County during the time in question.

Flowers does not appear in the Mississippi Department of Corrections’ inmate database.