In the early morning hours of May 9, 2018, a traffic stop in Jackson, Mississippi, escalated into a fatal shootout that resulted in the death of 30-year-old Elliot Reed. The incident unfolded at a Valero gas station on Cooper Road when a Jackson police officer pulled over a white SUV driven by Elliot, in which his 26-year-old brother, Chauncey Reed, was a passenger.
According to reports and surveillance footage from the scene, the officer initiated the stop after observing the vehicle being driven erratically. Upon approaching the SUV, the officer noticed several weapons inside. A struggle ensued between the officer and Elliot Reed after he exited the vehicle. As the altercation moved away from the SUV, Chauncey Reed emerged from the passenger side with a firearm and allegedly aimed it at his brother and the officer.
The officer retreated to take cover behind his patrol car and returned fire. In the exchange of gunfire, Elliot Reed was critically injured. He was transported to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries. Chauncey Reed was taken into custody at the scene. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation was called in to handle the investigation into the officer-involved shooting.
Following the incident, Chauncey Reed was charged with capital murder and aggravated assault on a police officer. Authorities stated that the capital murder charge was pursued because his actions of allegedly firing at the officer led to his brother's death during the commission of a felony. In a peculiar turn of events, Chauncey Reed was mistakenly released from the Hinds County jail shortly after his arrest but was recaptured within hours and moved to a different facility.
In February 2022, a Hinds County grand jury indicted Chauncey Reed on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. His trial took place, and in April 2025, he was convicted of the attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and murder in connection with his brother's death. The jury found that his actions directly contributed to the fatal outcome of the police encounter. Following his conviction, Chauncey Reed was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
