She served. She protected. And last week Greenville, Mississippi, police Detective Myiesha Stewart paid the ultimate price of being a law enforcement officer.
Stewart, 30, was shot to death Tuesday in a gunfight that left her dead and three others wounded.
Details were sparse about the shooting. WLBT-TV in Jackson, Mississippi, reported that a gunman shot and wounded a man and a woman in addition to killing Stewart. The gunman was also shot. He and the man he wounded were airlifted to a Jackson hospital, about 120 miles south of Greenville.
The woman had been shot in the foot, WLBT reported.
WLBT did not report whether the gunman had been wounded by police officers.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said the suspect is in custody.
“MBI is currently assessing this critical incident and gathering evidence. Upon completing their investigation, agents will share their findings with the local Attorney General’s Office,” it said.
Last night, Detective Myiesha Stewart of the Greenville Police Department was shot and killed in the line of duty.
I am truly saddened by the tragic loss of Detective Stewart. Please join me in prayer for her family, her friends, and the entire Greenville Police Department. pic.twitter.com/XjNtLWC9b6
— Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) October 12, 2022
According to Fox Digital News, Stewart was among 12 law enforcement officers who were shot in the line of duty during the week, at least five of them dying. According to the national Fraternal Order of Police, as of Sept. 30, 252 American law enforcement officers had been shot in the line of duty this year; 50 of them have died.
Errick Simmon, mayor of the city of about 28,000 residents, said a river of pain flowed through the Washington County community over Stewart’s death, according to remarks the city posted on Facebook.
“Today, we feel the hurt of a 3-year son left without a mother. We feel the hurt of a mother and father that have lost a daughter. We feel the hurt of [a] police department that have lost an officer,” he said.
“The family is hurting. Our community is hurting,” he said.
Mayor Errick D. Simmons of Greenville broke down in tears when discussing the shooting death of Detective Myiesha Stewart, the mother of a 3-year-old son.
“Our community is hurting,” he stated at a press conference Wednesday. https://t.co/qBjoAtvWI5 pic.twitter.com/o9x1so31EW
— WLBT 3 On Your Side (@WLBT) October 13, 2022
Speaking of the police officers gathered with him to mourn Stewart, he cited “the brave men and women who wake up every single day to protect and serve this community. When people are running away from danger, these brave men and women run to it.”
“Myieshia Stewart was one of those brave women. She was one who exhibited heart and courage. She was one who put fear aside to help someone else. And in her final act, she leaves a legacy of duty, honor, courage, and service.”
Simmons noted that Stewart “not too long ago left the academy and quickly moved up the ranks to become an investigator. To know Investigator Stewart was to respect her and love her.”
The city held a prayer breakfast in her honor on Wednesday.
“Today we gathered for a prayer breakfast to pray for the family, fellow co-workers, other first responders, and the community who has lost a loved one. Myiesha Stewart was a true definition of dedication, commitment, and resilience. We all stand together to support the family of our fallen officer, the city said in a post on Facebook.
“Our hearts are heavy as we remember the great times we’ve shared with such an impressionable and remarkable young woman, who gave her all until the end,” Police Chief Marcus Turner wrote in a statement, according to Fox News.
“Our department is a very close-knit, family-oriented department that will continue to hold strong together and for the service of our community,” he wrote.
Stewart leaves behind a 3-year-old son, Jace Amar Stewart, according to a GoFundMe page seeking donations for the child’s future.
