In the line of duty, 29-year-old Patrolman William Rankin Hickman of the Jackson Police Department tragically lost his life on a spring evening. The male officer was responding to a distress call concerning a man brandishing a shotgun. The initial report came from a woman who frantically dialed 911, stating that a man was pursuing her down Lynch Street with the firearm.
A subsequent call to emergency services reported the sound of gunshots in a nearby alley.
Upon their arrival at the scene, Hickman and his partner discovered the suspect seated in front of a bar located at 924 Lynch Street, the shotgun resting on his lap. As the two officers were exiting their patrol vehicle, the man suddenly opened fire with the 12-gauge shotgun, fatally wounding Patrolman Hickman. In a swift response, Hickman's partner returned fire, successfully neutralizing and wounding the assailant.
The man responsible for Patrolman Hickman's death was identified as a 58-year-old drifter with a history of mental health issues. He was subsequently taken into custody and formally charged with murder. At the time of his death, Patrolman Hickman had honorably served the Jackson Police Department for six years and was a loving husband and father to three children.
