A Yalobusha County deputy was injured Friday morning in a shootout that ended with the death of a Missouri man and woman. Sheriff Lance Humphreys reported that Deputy Thomas West was hit by several pellets from a shotgun blast at point-blank range and is extremely lucky to be alive, adding that his bullet proof vest took some of the blast. West was transported in a private vehicle to Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford where he was treated and released.
![Sheriff Humphreys]()
Sheriff Humphreys
Another county deputy and a Water Valley Police officer were also involved in the shooting that occurred in a cotton field off of County Road 100 just outside Water Valley. District Attorney John Champion reported that the incident remains under investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI), but added the officers involved acted “very, very heroically” in the shootout that involved a heavy exchange of gunshots. Authorities have released the name of the man as Robert J. Berube, age 41. The woman, identified as 24 year-old Jamie Dougan of Raytown, Mo., died several hours after the shooting at Regional One Health in Memphis, Tenn.
Humphreys said the incident started as a traffic stop on an ATV around 3 a.m. Friday morning. The ATV fled, but West located it shortly after daybreak in a cotton field after following tire tracks. As West approached the ATV, the man stood up from behind the four-wheeler and fired at him.
The sheriff said West was able to return fire in what became an intense shootout in the woods. Berube and Dougan were able to make it back to the four-wheeler and attempted to flee again, but it had been damaged during the volley and was inoperable.
“I had another deputy tell me it sounded like a war,” Humphreys said.
Minutes later the second deputy, Donald Wilson and Water Valley police officer Derrick Yancy made it to the field to back up West. By this time the Missouri couple got in West’s cruiser and attempted to flee, driving past the officers. Humphreys said the officers disabled the car, shooting out all four tires and the engine and the Missouri man exited the vehicle.
“He refused to comply with the commands from the deputy and Water Valley officer,” Champion added about the situation. "He had no intention of being taken alive."
Dougan was also hit in the exchange and was transported to the Memphis hospital where she died around 6:30 p.m. Friday.
After it was all over, Humphreys said West had strong words from the ordeal.
“He told me 'sheriff that man was hunting me like a dog,’” Humphreys told the Herald, explaining that every time West's radio would go off, the man would fire at him through the woods. West was down to his last bullet when the two backup officers arrived.
The sheriff said the pump shotgun used by the man had an extended magazine, a flashlight and laser sights. He also said night vision goggles were discovered near the four-wheeler.
