JACKSON — Today, around 8:15 p.m., Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. announced that Det. Eric Smith died today in the Jackson Police Department headquarters in downtown Jackson.
Jackson Police Chief Chief Rebecca Coleman told reporters a murder suspect was arrested earlier in the afternoon.
"It’s a tragic situation we're dealing with right now, and we don't have a lot of answers," JPD's Assistant Police Chief Lee Vance told reporters.
Smith, the father of two, was interviewing the homicide suspect on the third floor when he was killed. The suspect also died, although police have not explained the circumstances of his death, beyond saying that he had obtained the officer's weapon. They also did not name the suspect.
"Det. Smith was an excellent officer from all reports," Johnson told media assembled outside headquarters. "The men and women of the Jackson Police Department are taking this pretty hard. They risk their lives every day. Obviously, they don't expect this type of occurrence to happen, but they live with that possibility each and every day."
Smith is survived by his wife, Eneke, the mayor reported.
Ward 2 Councilman Chokwe Lumumba was also present. Lumumba, a defense attorney, remarked on Smith's professionalism even when Smith testified against Lumumba's clients.
"He was a real man in every sense of the word in terms of trying to help his community and help his family," Lumumba said of Smith, adding that the officer's son played on Lumumba's junior AAU basketball team.
The incident happened late afternoon causing a lockdown of the building. The police did not release Smith's name until after 8 p.m., pending notification of family.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is taking over the investigation, standard procedure in police shootings.
Update 4-5-2013: This story has been updated to reflect the correct spelling of Det. Smith's wife as Eneke. City officials previously identified Det. Smith's wife by the nickname Nicki. The Jackson Free Press apologizes.
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