A habitual offender will serve 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting a Gulfport police officer and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
District Attorney Crosby Parker announced Tuesday that Corwin Joshua Wilcher, 24, of Petal, pleaded guilty to felony assault on a police officer and possession of a firearm. Circuit Judge Larry Bourgeois sentenced Wilcher to serve 20 years day-for-day in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections without the possibility of parole.
Prosecutors said Wilcher was sentenced as a habitual offender after authorities determined he had three prior felony convictions for non-violent crimes.
The case began in May 2023 when the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation responded to an officer-involved shooting on Hewes Avenue in Gulfport.
Investigators said officers initiated a traffic stop after observing Wilcher swerving and running stop signs. During the stop, officers saw a handgun magazine inside the vehicle and determined Wilcher was armed. Authorities said that as an officer attempted to remove him from the car, Wilcher turned and aimed a semi-automatic handgun at one of the officers. Officers then fired in self-defense, striking Wilcher multiple times. He was transported for medical treatment.
During his plea hearing, Wilcher denied attempting to shoot an officer but apologized, telling the court the incident was “among the top three worst things I have done in my life,” and that he deeply regretted his actions.
Wilcher told the court he acted out of fear, saying he was raised to distrust law enforcement and believed the traffic stop would lead to his return to prison. At the time, he was on felony supervision in Forrest County for motor vehicle theft and was sent back to prison after his arrest on these charges.
“Every day, law enforcement officers go out into our communities risking their lives to ensure we live in safe communities,” Parker said. “There is no excuse for any person to point a firearm at a police officer who is engaged in carrying out his or her enforcement duties.”