Jackson County man arrested for hitting firefighter with his vehicle

LATIMER, Miss. (WXXV)– A Jackson County man is facing felony charges for hitting a firefighter with his vehicle as fire crews worked a forest fire in the Latimer area Saturday evening.

83-year-old Tommy Broadnax is charged with Simple Assault on a Firefighter, which is a felony offense under Mississippi law.

Investigators with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office say Broadnax became agitated after being told that Stephen Earl Drive was closed as Jackson County and U.S. Forestry fire crews worked to contain the fire.

A U.S. Forestry firefighter then attempted to stop him and reiterate that the road was closed.

That’s when investigators say Broadnax failed to listen to the instructions and hit the firefighter with his vehicle, knocking her to the ground, before continuing down the road.

He was taken into custody without incident, and the firefighter was not seriously injured.

The case remains under investigation.