In the early morning hours of June 7, 2003, a violent encounter inside the Fayette Police Department tragically ended the life of 55-year-old Officer Arnold Gunther Strickland, a male with 26 years of law enforcement experience. The events unfolded around 3:00 a.m. when Officer Strickland and his partner, Corporal James Eddie Crump, found a young man asleep in a stolen vehicle.
They took the 18-year-old suspect, Devin Darnell Thompson, into custody and brought him to the police station for booking.
While being processed, a sudden and brutal turn of events occurred. As the officers were fingerprinting him, Thompson managed to seize Officer Strickland's service weapon. He then opened fire, fatally shooting Officer Strickland in the head. The gunman's rampage continued as he crossed the hall and shot Corporal Crump, also in the head. Before fleeing the station, Thompson encountered dispatcher Leslie 'Ace' Mealer and shot him multiple times.
After the deadly shootings, Thompson stole a police cruiser and fled the scene. His escape was short-lived, however, as he was apprehended later that day near Columbus, Mississippi. Officer Strickland's stolen pistol was recovered from the abandoned police vehicle.
The aftermath of the tragic event saw Devin Darnell Thompson face justice for his crimes. He was subsequently convicted of capital murder for the deaths of Officer Arnold Strickland, Corporal James Crump, and dispatcher Leslie Mealer. Despite a defense claiming he was not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, the court found him guilty. On October 6, 2005, Thompson was sentenced to death for the triple homicide and is currently on death row at Holman Correctional facility in Atmore, Alabama.
