A shooting investigation in Mississippi is raising questions about the assault charges that authorities filed against a man who reportedly defended himself from several people who attacked him near a party.
The incident happened in Adams County, Mississippi, on July 11, according to local reports.
Deputies with the county sheriff’s office were called to a scene where someone had been shot near the site of a party.
At the shooting location, responding officers located a man with a gunshot wound to the chest.
A preliminary investigation revealed that two separate altercations had broken out in which multiple people attacked a man named Reginald Butler.
Video from the initial attack shows Butler trying to ride his bicycle across a bridge when one man shoved him to the ground. Then, at least three white men surround and begin attacking Butler.
“It was one of the most heinous things that you could see,” said Adams County Sheriff Travis Patton. “If you watch this video, it would make the average person who has passion in their heart get emotional.”
After the attack, Butler fled the area on his bicycle but later returned to the area, this time to a different bridge, where he encountered one of his attackers, who authorities identified as Cameron Taunton. Patton believes Butler went home and retrieved a gun.
Witness statements revealed that the individual exited his car, confronted Butler, and then began attacking him.
In response, Butler pulled out the weapon and fired several shots. One of the bullets hit his assailant in the chest and also struck the vehicle once.
Butler and the individual fled the scene. Deputies located Butler at his house, where they took him into custody. The man Butler shot was airlifted to a hospital.
Butler was also taken to a hospital to be treated for wounds he sustained in the assaults.
He was later jailed on aggravated assault charges.
When asked why Butler was charged, Patton told WLBT that initial evidence and witness statements suggested that the shooting followed “a series of altercations,” including Butler attempting to return to the scene after the initial assault, “which we now know isn’t completely accurate.”
“The decision to charge Butler with aggravated assault reflects the totality of circumstances at this stage,” the sheriff continued, “including whether the use of force met legal standards for self-defense under Mississippi law. All of this is being reviewed now that the video evidence has emerged and statements have changed.
Taunton and another man involved in the assault on Butler have been charged with aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault. Authorities have identified the other man as Houston Lee Pretty.
The investigation is ongoing. Patton said his office has reached out to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the FBI to help determine if this is considered a hate crime.
“That was a very emotional thing for this community. You can see the pain, the anger and the frustration,” the sheriff added.
