On Thursday (Mar. 28), Phillip Meacham, an off-duty officer, was shot and killed in Hopkinsville, Ky. According to WTVF, the suspect impersonated a cop, attempted to pull Meacham over, and shot him. Shortly after, Christian County Emergency Management posted an image of the suspect, James Decoursey, to its Facebook page. After an encounter with Tennessee officials on Friday (Mar. 30), Decoursey was pronounced dead.
Decoursey allegedly shot at Meacham, then fled on foot before driving off in a stolen 1997 white Chevrolet pickup truck. Meacham, 38, was taken to a hospital where he died hours later. Decoursey initiated an interstate escape which ended in his death. He was fatally shot by Tennessee police.
A warning was released by Hopkinsville officers, saying that Decoursey was armed and dangerous. Assuming that the suspect would flee the vicinity, Tennessee Highway Patrol was alerted and active in the search. Meacham left two young children and a wife behind. CBS News reports that the officer worked with the Hopkinsville department since May 2017 and with the Christian County Sheriff’s Department for 14 years before that.
Events of this nature have increased amid national gun-control debates and requests to have the second amendment repealed. Kentucky is one of the states where an arms permit is not necessary for the ownership of a firearm; arms carriage is permitted without a license, though it’s necessary for concealed weapons.