Incident report

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INCIDENT / ARREST REPORT
Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department
711 Jackson Avenue
Oxford, MS 38655

_X_ INCIDENT
___ Juvenile
___ Senior Citizen
___ Gang

___ ARREST
___ Child Abuse
___ Domestic
___ Involved Alcohol
CASE NUMBER:
001905-16D-2023
Date Reported:
04/16/2023
Time Reported:
10:11 AM
OFFENSE:
911 report - Well-Being Check
STATUTE:
___Committed
___ Attempted
OFFENSE:
STATUTE:
___Committed
___Attempted
OFFENSE:
STATUTE:
___Committed
___Attempted
Location of Offense(Exact address, include Room/ Apt. No.)
107 Combs Street
Oxford, Mississippi
Date of Offense:
04/16/2023
Time of Offense:
TBD
Location of Arrest (Exact address, include Room/Apt. No.)
N/A
Date of Arrest:
N/A
Time of Arrest:
N/A
Reporting Officer:
Dep. Fred Willits
Unit Number:
304
Assisting Officer:
Dep. P.J. Watson
Unit Number:
305

 

Persons

PERSON 1
Type:
Victim
Category:
Adult
Foul Play Suspected
Yes
Name:
Charles Tatum
Alias/Street Name/ Nickname
None
Vic/Offender Relationship
Unknown
Race
White
Height
6' 2"
Weight
210
Hair
Brown-gray
Eyes
Hazel
Sex
M
Hat
None
Jacket/Coat
None
Shirt
None
Pants
None
Skirt/Dress
None
Age
45
DOB
7/27/1977
Soc. Security #
XXX-XX-XXXX
Scars/Marks/Tattoos
None visible
Injury Extent
Fatal
Injury Description
Apparent gunshot wound to the right side of head visible
Address
107-B Combs Street, Oxford, Mississippi
Res Phone 234-XXXX
Bus Phone 236-XXXX
Occupation
Sheriff's Detective
Employer/School
County of Yoknapatawpha
Employer Address
711 Jackson Avenue
Oxford, Mississippi

 

PERSON 2
Type:
Witness
Category:
Adult
Foul Play Suspected
N/A
Name:
Edith McElroy
Alias/Street Name/ Nickname
None
Vic/Offender Relationship
Tenant/Landlord
Race
White
Height
5' 6"
Weight
185
Hair
Blonde
Eyes
Green
Sex
F
Hat
None
Jacket/Coat
None
Shirt
Pink
Pants
Gray
Skirt/Dress
N/A
Age
71
DOB
11/29/1951
Soc. Security #
XXX-XX-XXXX
Scars/Marks/Tattoos
None visible
Injury Extent
None visible
Injury Description
N/A
Address
107-A Combs Street
Oxford, MS
Res Phone 232-XXXX
Bus Phone 234-XXXX
Occupation
Retired
Employer/School
N/A
Employer Address
N/A

Evidence

ITEMS OF EVIDENCE/PROPERTY RECOVERED
 (1)  Type
     ___  Damaged
     ___  Lost
     ___  Recovered
     ___  Stolen
     _X_  Taken into Evidence
 Item Description

 001905-01: One (1) SIG Sauer P226 9mm handgun
 (2)  Type
     ___  Damaged
     ___  Lost
     ___  Recovered
     ___  Stolen
     _X_  Taken into Evidence
 Item Description

 001905-02: One (1) 9mm shell casing
 (3)  Type
     ___  Damaged
     ___  Lost
     ___  Recovered
     ___  Stolen
     _X_  Taken into Evidence
 Item Description
 001905-03 through 001905-08: Six (6) bone fragments
 (4)  Type
     ___  Damaged
     ___  Lost
     ___  Recovered
     ___  Stolen
     _X_  Taken into Evidence
 Item Description
 001905-09: One (1) tooth

Reporting Officer's narrative

REPORTING OFFICER'S NARRATIVE(Brief narrative of the facts surrounding the offense and the arrest.)

At 10:06 a.m., Dispatch received a 911 call regarding an unpleasant odor emanating from a residence at 107 Combs Street, which the caller indicated was the residence of Detective Charles Tatum of the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department. The caller identified herself as Edith McElroy, neighbor and landlady of the property.

Unit #304 (Deputy Fred Willits) and Unit #305 (Deputy P.J. Watson) were dispatched to the scene. Reporting Officer (R/O) Willits arrived at the scene at 10:11 a.m. and R/O Watson arrived at 10:12 a.m.

Upon arrival, R/O Willits was met by the complainant, who identified herself as Edith McElroy. Witness McElroy said, in summary and not verbatim, that she has recently noted an unpleasant odor emanating from the other apartment in her building.

Witness McElroy said she had not seen the occupant of that apartment, whom she identified as Detective Charles Tatum of the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department, in several days. The witness indicated it was unusual for her to go more than one day without seeing Tatum, and she was concerned for his welfare.

R/O Willits contacted his shift commander to request permission to make entry to the residence. Lieutenant George Montoya gave verbal authorization to gain entry to the residence at 10:22 a.m. The witness McElroy, also the property landlord, provided R/Os with a key to the residence, and R/Os entered at 10:24 a.m. The witness McElroy was instructed to remain outside the residence.

Upon entry into the residence, R/Os noted the unpleasant odor was much stronger. R/Os conducted a well-being search of the residence. In the bedroom of the residence, R/Os observed a deceased white male personally known to R/Os as Detective Charles Tatum of the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department.

The deceased was in a supine position on the bed and was unclothed. A close-range gunshot wound was visible to the right side of his head and a handgun was observed in the deceased's right hand. The weapon appears to be the deceased's Yoknapatawpha County-issued sidearm, a SIG Sauer P226 9mm. Based on appearance, it is R/O's opinion that the deceased has been dead for some time.

R/O Willits then contacted Dispatch and requested Command Personnel TX him at 662-234-XXXX, the telephone number at the witness McElroy's residence. Following R/O's verbal report, the following personnel responded to the scene: Sheriff Taylor Sheldon, Lieutenant George Montoya, and Internal Affairs Detective Anna Calhoun. Yoknapatawpha County Fire Department EMTs Bill Harcourt and Ned Keller responded no-code to the scene and transported the deceased to the Coroner's Office.

At 11:43 a.m., Sheriff Sheldon and Det. Calhoun released R/Os from the scene.

 

  DEFENDANT'S VERSION/REMARKS(What did the defendant say?)

 N/A

 

 REPORTING OFFICER  Fred Willits  DATE REPORTED  04/16/2023
 REPORTING OFFICER  //Fred Willits
 Signature
 304
 Unit Number
 04/16/2023
 Date
 ASSISTING OFFICER  //P.J. Watson
 Signature
 305
 Unit Number
 04/16/2023
 Date