In the quiet town of Columbia, Mississippi, a routine traffic stop escalated into a tragedy that claimed the lives of two police officers. Patrolman Wayne Grant Henebry, a male officer with five years of service with the Columbia Police Department, was one of the victims. The incident began when his colleague, Patrolman Billy Patterson, pulled over a man on Main Street, directly in front of the Marion County Courthouse.
Unbeknownst to Patrolman Patterson, the man he had stopped had a
violent history and had reportedly made threats to kill the next police officer he encountered. A gunfight erupted at the scene of the traffic stop, and Patrolman Patterson called for backup. Patrolman Henebry was the one who arrived to assist, and in the ensuing exchange of gunfire, both he and Patrolman Patterson were fatally shot.
The suspect, who was on parole for two prior killings, then fled the scene with the intention of harming his wife. However, his violent rampage was brought to an end when he was confronted by his own son at his wife's residence. In an act of defense for his mother, the suspect's son shot and killed him. Patrolman Henebry was survived by his wife, son, daughter, mother, and brothers.
