On a November evening in Wiggins, Mississippi, a domestic disturbance call set in motion a tragic chain of events that would end in the death of two police officers. Forty-eight-year-old Patrol Officer Edward Odell Fite and his colleague, Investigator Brandon Breland, responded to the call on South First Street at approximately 8:00 pm on November 27, 2005.
The situation escalated quickly and violently, leaving both officers with fatal injuries.
Upon their arrival at the mobile home, a male subject managed to gain control of one of the officers'. 40 caliber service weapons and opened fire on both of them. When the officers became unreachable by radio, dispatchers grew concerned and requested backup from the Stone County Sheriff's Office and the Mississippi Highway Patrol. Responding units discovered the bodies of Officer Fite and Investigator Breland outside the residence. It was noted that neither officer was wearing a bullet-resistant vest at the time of the incident.
The suspect fled the scene but was apprehended a short time later at his home in Maxie, Mississippi. He was subsequently charged with two counts of capital murder. The case went to trial, and the suspect was convicted on both counts. He received two life sentences for the murders of the two officers and was sentenced to life without parole.
Officer Fite had been with the Wiggins Police Department for two months at the time of his death. His career in law enforcement also included service with the Lamar County Sheriff's Office, the Lumberton City Police Department, and the New Augusta Police Department. He was survived by his wife, three children, and four grandchildren. His partner, Investigator Brandon Breland, was 23 years old and had been with the Wiggins Police Department for five years.
