A Jones County Sheriff’s Department deputy narrowly escaped serious injury or death on Monday afternoon after a traffic stop in rural Jones County, southwest of Ellisville, turned violent. Deputy Chase Smith initiated a traffic stop on Old School House Road near the intersection of New Hope Road after observing a vehicle being pulled with a chain by another vehicle. Deputy Smith recognized the driver of the vehicle being pulled as Raleigh Maxey, who had a bench warrant for burglary to a dwelling.
Maxey, the driver of the vehicle being towed, exited the vehicle and immediately became non-compliant with Smith, leading to him being tazed. Maxey became physically violent while Smith was attempting to arrest him and place him into handcuff. An intense fight ensued that lasted nearly 10 minutes before backup units from the Ellisville Police Department and Jones County Sheriff’s Department arrived on scene. Prior to arrival of backup units, the deputy was able to break physical contact and was holding the subject at gunpoint when multiple law enforcement units arrived on scene.
The two other individuals in the first vehicle, which was pulling the second vehicle with a chain, fled the scene with both vehicles prior to arrival of law enforcement backup units. They were later located in the general vicinity of the initial incident on Mrs. Robinson Road by JCSD investigators and deputies and taken into custody. They were identified as Byron Windham and Alexis Abercrombie.
Maxey was charged with aggravated assault on police/fire/school officer with weapon. Maxey also has a bench warrant for burglary to a dwelling.
Windham was charged with probation violation on a Mississippi Department of Corrections warrant.
Abercrombie was initially charged with aggravated assault on police/fire/school officer with weapon, but she was later released without charges after investigators questioned her.
The Jones County Sheriff’s Department would like to thank the Ellisville Police Department and Captain Wayne McLemore for responding to the scene to assist Deputy Smith. Multiple units from the Jones County Sheriff’s Department also responded to the scene, and several participated in the subsequent search for Windham and Abercrombie on Mrs. Robinson Road in the same general vicinity of the initial incident.
“Law enforcement is an inherently dangerous occupation and that was aptly demonstrated yesterday during the attempt by Deputy Smith to take Raleigh Maxey into custody,” noted Jones County Sheriff Joe Berlin. “We are grateful that Deputy Smith did not incur any serious injuries despite an intense physical confrontation with the wanted subject Raleigh Maxey. Our deputies, investigators and corrections officers put their lives on the line each and every day that they are in service for the residents of Jones County.”