Correctional Officer David Ekwejunor Charged with Evading Arrest

A 25-year-old Texas Department of Criminal Justice correctional officer was charged with evading arrest with a motor vehicle Friday afternoon when he allegedly fled authorities after failing to stop for a school bus dropping off school children.

David Ekwejunor, 25, who listed a Dallas address, was arrested by Anderson County Precinct 2 Constable Doug Lightfoot around 3:30 p.m. Friday on U.S. 287, north of Palestine.

Ekwejunor, a correctional officer at the TDCJ’s Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony, was charged with evading arrest/detention with a motor vehicle and a handful of other violations, including failing to stop for a school bus with lights flashing, according to Lightfoot.

Lightfoot was patrolling on U.S. 287 between FM 645 and FM 321 around 3:30 p.m. Friday when he observed a Saturn SUV traveling southbound on U.S. 287 fail to stop for a school bus which had its red lights flashing and was letting school children out in the northbound lane of traffic.

“I observed the violation and attempted to stop the driver,” Lightfoot told the Herald-Press.

The constable said he had his overhead lights activated and also utilized his vehicle’s siren, but the SUV’s driver ignored his attempts to get him to stop.

Lightfoot then notified the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office of the situation.

“They got three sheriff’s office units and two DPS (Texas Department of Public Safety) units to meet the vehicle,” Lightfoot said.

DPS Trooper Chad Sparkman placed “spike strips” across U.S. 287 in the immediate area of Lone Pine Baptist Church, the constable added.

“The driver did not stop at that time and proceeded through the spike strips,” Lightfoot said. “After he hit the spikes, his tires deflated almost immediately and he stopped.”

Ekwejunor, who was the vehicle’s lone occupant, was then arrested by Lightfoot and transported to the Anderson County Jail where he was booked into the facility.

No contraband was found in the suspect’s vehicle, according to the constable.

Officer Darryl Russell Failed to Yield Causing the Death of Man on Bicycle

An accident reconstruction by the Mississippi Highway Patrol shows that a Waveland police officer failed to yield the right-of-way in an accident that caused the death of a Bay St. Louis bicyclist last year.

Cpl. Johnny Poulos released the results on Friday.

Francisco Jesus Mendoza Suarez, 33, died in the Sept. 21 accident.

Patrolman Darryl Russell pulled out of an eastbound turn lane and attempted to cross U.S. 90 toward the far-right emergency lane.

At the time, Suarez was riding a bicycle in the righthand emergency lane.

As the police car crossed the highway, it was struck by a Cadillac Escalade that was also headed east, Poulos told the Sun Herald in September.

The collision caused the Escalade to veer out of control into the emergency lane, striking Suarez.

Poulos said Russell reported he had attempted to cross the road because Suarez resembled the description of a criminal suspect that had been broadcast to police units in the area.

Russell told investigators that his patrol car’s blue emergency lights had been on when he attempted to cross U.S. 90.

Bay St. Louis police said Suarez was not the suspect.

Waveland Police Chief James Varnell said he could not comment on the case because a lawsuit has been filed by Suarez’s family against the city of Waveland, the police department and Russell.

Immediately after the accident, Russell was placed on administrative leave with pay for four weeks but currently is on duty, Varnell said.

The accident occurred just inside the Bay St. Louis city limits.

Russell was in Bay St. Louis because officers must make a U-turn when westbound on U.S. 90 to return to Waveland.