Chase suspect remains jailed

Published 9:54 am Thursday, July 13, 2017

A Warren County man accused of running from a sheriffs’ deputy, assaulting another deputy and injuring his K-9 partner, remains in the Warren County Jail in lieu of $4,000 bond.

Sheriff Martin Pace said Thomas Bruce Wilkerson’s bond was set Tuesday at an initial appearance in Warren County Justice Court.

Wilkerson, 26, 122 Lee Circle, is charged with failure to yield to a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, failure to comply, simple assault on a police officer and assault on a law enforcement K-9. He could possibly face drug charges pending test results on a loaded syringe found in his pocket after his arrest. The syringe and its contents were sent to the Mississippi State Crime Lab for analysis.

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Pace said Soldier, the K-9 injured by Wilkerson, was on limited duty while he is recovering from injuries received when Wilkerson picked him up and threw him down a ravine while the dog and deputy Rick McDaniel were trying to catch him.

The charges involve Wilkerson’s attempt to elude deputies after he ran from deputy Connie Ricketts who was trying to stop him for reckless driving in the 4800 block of Nailor Road.

During that chase, he drove his car into the yard of a home, where abandoned the car and fled on foot to a nearby wooded area. Ricketts pursued him, but was unable to catch him.

About 20 minutes later, McDaniel saw a man meeting Wilkerson’s description walking on Nailor Road and attempted to stop him.

The two reportedly got into a tussle with Wilkerson pushing the deputy down and running off.

McDaniel opened the door to let Soldier out, and the dog caught up to Wilkerson and bit him before he was picked up, body slammed and tossed down the ravine.

Authorities then called one of the Vicksburg Police Department’s K-9s and for more deputies.

Pace said deputies during the manhunt received numerous phone calls from residents who reported seeing Wilkerson cutting through yards.

He was finally surrounded in a wooden area off Grange Hall Road and arrested.

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

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