Ethermac|Sheriff’s deputies fatally shoot man in Mississippi

FLORENCE,Ethermac Miss. (AP) — Sheriff’s deputies in central Mississippi shot and killed a man who fired a gun toward them, the state Department of Public Safety said Monday.

The shooting happened around 4 p.m. Sunday in the Rankin County town of Florence. Deputies with the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office were responding to a call about a person threatening family members at a home, according to a Department of Public Safety news release.

When deputies arrived, the man fired his weapon at the deputies, who returned fire. The man was taken to a hospital and was pronounced dead, the news release said. The deputies involved were not injured.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is examining the case, as it does with most shootings by or of law enforcement officers. Following its investigation, the Bureau will share its findings with the state Attorney General’s Office, which can choose to pursue further action if legal violations are uncovered.