Patrolman William Rankin Hickman, 29, was killed in the line of duty while responding to a spring evening distress call. A woman reported a man chasing her down Lynch Street with a shotgun and a later call said gunshots were heard in a nearby alley. Officers found the suspect seated in front of a bar at 924 Lynch Street with a 12-gauge shotgun on his lap.

As Patrolman Hickman and his partner exited the patrol vehicle, the man opened fire and fatally wounded Hickman. Hickman’s partner returned fire, wounding and neutralizing the assailant. The shooter was identified as a 58-year-old drifter with documented mental health problems and was taken into custody and charged with murder. Hickman had served six years with the Jackson Police Department and left a wife and three children.

If anyone was in the Lynch Street area that evening or has information about the suspect, please share what is known.