Grand jury clears officers in Hancock County shooting of wanted felon

(WXXV) — Deputies involved in the shooting death of a wanted felon in Bay St. Louis last year have been cleared of any criminal conduct.

A Grand Jury ruling Tuesday says that Hancock County deputies acted appropriately when they fatally shot 29-year-old Lawrence Bottoms in April 2019.

Bottoms had jumped from a second-story window after authorities deployed tear gas into the Bay St. Louis home where he was located.

Officers opened fire after he ran into the woods and pulled out a handgun.

Bottoms had been wanted on a charge of being a felon in possession of a gun out of East Baton Rouge Parish in Louisiana.