A deputy who was shot while on duty in Hancock County, Mississippi, has died from his injuries.
Lt. Michael Boutte was responding to a call for help regarding an attempted suicide when he was shot while trying to get out of his vehicle near a home, Hancock County Sheriff Ricky Adam told the Sun Herald.
A second responding deputy arrived shortly afterward. He was also fired at by the suspect but he managed to return fire, injuring the suspect.
Boutte was airlifted to a New Orleans hospital and was later pronounced dead.
The suspect, who is not yet identified, was also taken to a hospital for treatment.
Boutte was an Air Force veteran who had served in law enforcement for eight years. He had also attended the United States Marine Corps Police Academy and served in the reserves in New Orleans.
“We just lost a brave man in the line of duty—Lieutenant Michael Boutte of the Hancock Sheriff’s Dept,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said on Twitter.
“His fearless service demonstrates his courage and the outpouring of love demonstrates just how great this loss is. He is a fallen hero. Please pray for the many who loved him.”
We just lost a brave man in the line of duty—Lieutenant Michael Boutte of the Hancock Sheriff’s Dept. His fearless service demonstrates his courage and the outpouring of love demonstrates just how great this loss is. He is a fallen hero. Please pray for the many who loved him. pic.twitter.com/ED48Axvgek
— Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) February 2, 2021
During his time with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Boutte was awarded the Life Saving Medal for saving a child’s life, the department said in a news release, adding that he was also credited with “spearheading National Crime Night Out and initiating the Silver Alert Database for the City of Diamondhead.”
“The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office suffered a huge loss today,” Adam said in a statement. “Mike was an incredible deputy and more so a fine person.
“He was a mentor to our younger deputies and I know he will be greatly missed by his peers. You never saw him without a smile or a positive attitude.”
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigations will be investigating the shooting.
