A state of emergency has been declared for Yazoo City and a curfew is in effect following a Wednesday night shooting, Mayor Macklyn Austin announced.
“There is nothing funny about gun violence until it becomes personal,” Austin said on social media. “It’s easy to laugh, criticize, and make jokes until it’s your son, your daughter, your mother, your father, or someone you love lying on the ground after being shot.”
The curfew runs from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m., and will be in effect until Monday, Aug. 3. During the hours of the curfew, the mayor said all residents are directed to remain indoors. There are exceptions for those traveling to and from work, seeking emergency medical care, responding to an emergency, or engaged in other “essential activities.”
Austin’s decision to order the curfew and state of emergency follows the shooting death of McKinley Sawyer, 23, along Webster Street Extension. The mayor added that this shooting is a microcosm of a much larger problem the city has faced for quite some time.
“It’s easy to dismiss the problem until it’s your elderly loved one forced to take cover inside their own home because bullets are flying through the neighborhood. No one should have to live in fear inside their own house,” Austin said. “It’s easy to make light of the situation until it’s your business that is riddled with gunfire, your employees are traumatized, your customers are endangered, and innocent people are caught in the crossfire because criminals chose your property to settle their disputes.”
The curfew is not the only recent action Yazoo City has taken to combat crime. The city hired former Columbus Police Chief Joseph Daughtry to revamp law enforcement efforts, leaning on his proven track record in the Golden Triangle and prior stops across Mississippi as reason for hope that Yazoo City can turn a corner in becoming a safer place for citizens and visitors.
“I did not seek the office of mayor to win a popularity contest. I accepted this responsibility to lead, to make difficult decisions, and to do everything within my authority to make Yazoo City a safer, cleaner, and more prosperous place for every citizen,” Austin said. “That responsibility is shared by [the Yazoo City Mayor and Board of Aldermen], and we will not apologize for taking action to protect our community.”
Yazoo City has a population of roughly 10,000 people and has struggled in recent years to hold a sufficient number of law enforcement officers. This has overburdened the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office, which covers a larger area than the municipality.
“We have a great deal of work ahead of us. Years of problems cannot be corrected overnight, but we refuse to stand by while violence continues to threaten innocent lives. Every decision we make will be centered on protecting our citizens and restoring peace to our city,” Austin said. “If this administration is criticized because we chose to put public safety ahead of politics, popularity, or personal agendas, then so be it. We can live with criticism. We cannot live with the consequences of doing nothing.”
The curfew could be extended if the mayor deems it necessary.