In what should have been a routine response to a domestic violence call, a dedicated police officer's life was tragically cut short, leaving a community in mourning. Thirty-year-old Kennis Croom, a male officer with the Meridian Police Department, was fatally shot on the evening of June 9, 2022, while serving his community.
Responding to a call at a residence on 51st Avenue in Meridian, Mississippi, Officer Croom was the first to arrive at the scene. He encountered a volatile situation and soon after, shots were fired. When backup officers arrived, they made a grim discovery. Officer Croom had been shot, and inside the home, a woman, later identified as Brittany Jones, was also found deceased. Both were pronounced dead a short time later.
A manhunt was immediately launched for the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Dante Marquez Bender. The search for Bender, who was considered armed and dangerous, extended across multiple counties. The following morning, through the efforts of a United States Marshals Service task force, Bender was apprehended at a gas station in Choctaw County. It was later revealed that Bender was a former police officer who had been terminated from a different department months prior to the incident.
In the aftermath of the tragic event, Dante Marquez Bender faced charges of capital murder for the death of Officer Kennis Croom and one count of murder for the death of Brittany Jones, who was reportedly his pregnant fiancée. He ultimately pleaded guilty to the charges. During the legal proceedings, Bender admitted to the killings, stating he was under the influence of alcohol at the time. The court, however, did not accept his intoxication as a defense. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, ensuring he would be held accountable for his devastating actions that day.
