A teenager is in custody and more arrests are expected to follow in the near future following a spree of auto thefts, auto burglaries, and carjackings committed by a group of juveniles.
Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade says these crimes were committed in areas from south Jackson to the northern portion of the city, leaving citizens concerned for their safety.
One in particular involved an off-duty Hinds County sheriff’s deputy whose car was the subject of an attempted theft when an exchange of gunfire rang out, resulting in one injury. This incident occurred at a gas station on Medgar Evers Blvd on Sunday.
Azarion Hatcher, 17, has been taken into custody in connection with the string of crimes. He is charged with auto theft and felony fleeing from law enforcement in Jackson. Hatcher also faces carjacking, attempted murder, and home invasion charges out of Yazoo City.
“He’s not your average 17-year-old,” Wade said. “I do not believe in pursuits, but I do think in some situations or circumstances, you have to be involved in police pursuits, and we were with this young man and he was brought into custody without incident.”
But Hatcher did not act alone in Mississippi’s capital city. JPD has issued warrants for four other juveniles believed to be involved in the auto-related criminal activity — a 14-year-old, two 15-year-olds, and a 16-year-old — all Black males. Authorities have not yet released their names.
Wade commended JPD’s patrol division and detectives for their work in locating Hatcher and working to protect innocent civilians from bad actors.
“It feels good to be part of an agency that can establish a strategic approach to what the mission is to thwart the actions of the criminal element here in the city of Jackson,” Wade added.
