Man involved in deadly carjacking remains critical; facing vehicular manslaughter charges

Published 12:41 pm Monday, August 6, 2018

A Jackson man remained in critical condition Monday at University of Mississippi Medical Center recovering from injuries he received when the pickup he was driving collided head-on with another car, killing the two men inside it early Sunday morning.

Vicksburg police Lt. Johnnie Edwards said Deon Jamaal Hatten, 26, 2909 Booker St., Jackson, faces charges of carjacking and two counts of vehicular manslaughter when he is released from the hospital.

He is accused of taking a 2007 Lincoln MLT pickup from the Lady Luck Casino parking lot about 2:55 a.m. He later collided with a 2000 Silver Buick Regal containing Jared Develle Brinner, 30, 2501 Culkin Road, and Ron Lydell Hedrick, 32, 102 McGraw St., Pattison. The impact caused the car to burst into flames in the 300 block of Warrenton Road near USA Pawn. Both men were declared dead at the scene by Waren County Coroner Doug Huskey.

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Edwards said the initial call indicated the car was stolen from Riverwalk Casino, which is adjacent to Lady Luck, but further investigation indicated the theft occurred at Lady Luck.

According to police reports, Riverwalk security officers reportedly caught Hatten disabling video cameras in the casino’s parking deck. Hatten fled, jumping from the second level of the parking garage into a wooded area, and casino security called police.

While a police officer was getting information about the vandalism at Riverwalk, Hatten pulled a woman out of the pickup at Lady Luck, and drove from the Lady Luck parking lot past the officer at a high rate of speed, went through the Riverwalk parking lot and turned north on Warrenton Road.

The officer turned on his blue lights and left the casino in an attempt to catch up with Hatten. When the officer arrived at the scene of the wreck, the car containing Brinner and Hedrick was engulfed in flames. Hatten was taken to Merit Health River Region and then transferred to UMMC.

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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