The Covington County sheriff’s deputy who was injured in a Monday afternoon shooting has been identified.
The nearby Smith County Sheriff’s Office identified the shooting victim as Yates Rodney. Officials said that the incident happened at approximately 3:38 p.m. when the Covington County Sheriff’s Department attempted to pull over a blue SUV in Mount Olive.
The vehicle fled, leading deputies on a brief chase that ended at Greer’s CashSaver grocery on Main Street. When the SUV was stopped, authorities say the driver got out with his hands up while a passenger in the vehicle began shooting at deputies. Yates was reportedly struck and transported to a local hospital. He underwent surgery for what the sheriff’s office described as life-threatening injuries but is now in stable condition.
After the shooting, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety issued a Blue Alert, identifying one of the suspects as 18-year-old Cortavious Lawayne Hobbs. Officials also urged the public to be on the lookout for 19-year-old Zykerian Quentavius Magee, who later turned himself in and was cleared as a suspect.
Around 9:20 p.m., another Blue Alert was issued for 19-year-old Cortavion Dewayne Hobbs, the brother of Cortavious. By 1:20 a.m. on Tuesday, both had been found hiding under a house near the area of the shooting. They were taken into custody without further incident, according to Mississippi Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell.
“Days like yesterday leave you speechless. They are heavy. They are hard. Please continue to pray for the officer, his family, the Covington County Sheriff’s Office, and all law enforcement involved,” Tindell wrote on social media Tuesday morning. “Also keep in your prayers those who worked tirelessly to bring those responsible into custody.”
Multiple sources told SuperTalk Mississippi News that the brothers are related to Cordarius Hobbs, a 17-year-old arrested and charged in connection with killing an elderly couple and shooting a Simpson County sheriff’s deputy on June 3.
Charges in connection with the Covington County shooting have not been announced at this time.