Man who shot at Madison County police to spend 40 years in prison

The man who shot at police officers multiple times at a Ridgeland apartment earlier this year will spend four decades behind bars.

According to Madison County District Attorney Bubba Bramlett, Jr., Keithannin Cortez Sparks pled guilty to a pair of charges for aggravated assault on law enforcement officers.

Ridgeland Police Chief Brian Myers confirmed that the May 6 gunfire rang out after officers responded to a call regarding a domestic dispute between a couple at Ridgeland Place Apartments off William Boulevard near Old Canton Road.

Police at the scene heard screaming from within the apartment unit, but were unable to make contact with the occupants. As officers were attempting to open the door to the residence, Starks fired multiple rounds through the door at the officers. Though no police were injured, officers returned fire, prompting a brief stand-off to ensue with Starks and his unidentified girlfriend remaining inside the apartment.

The female was able to exit the apartment and be taken to safety. In the meantime, Starks fired more shots at police through the second-floor window of the apartment unit. Officers returned fire and requested backup from surrounding agencies.

Specialized teams from the Ridgeland Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Department, and Madison Police Department quickly arrived at the scene. Around an hour after backup arrived, Starks voluntarily left the apartment and surrendered to authorities.

The suspect was struck in the chest during the exchange of gunfire and taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Center for treatment.

“This is a terrifying example of what our law enforcement officers can face each time they get called out. We are so thankful that no officers were hurt during the shooting or standoff. We applaud the officers of the RPD who maintained their composure and were able to resolve the situation without anyone losing their life,” Bramlett stated.

“I hope the fact that Mr. Starks will be spending the next forty years in custody will be a message to anyone else out there who thinks that they can fire on police in Madison or Rankin Counties. Our office takes violence against our law enforcement extremely seriously.”