Slain Hattiesburg officers leave legacy of dedication, faith

With lowered flags and prayers, a southern Mississippi city is mourning two police officers, while the four people arrested after their shooting deaths await an initial court appearance Monday.

Red roses decorated a chain-link fence Sunday near the spot where officers Benjamin Deen and Liquori Tate were killed, and worshippers remembered the men in a small brick church just a few dozen yards from the scene.

"It's sad. It's just a tragedy," Dorothy Thompson said outside New Hope Baptist Church after a Mother's Day service that included prayers for the officers and their families.

Nearby, bloodstains still marked the asphalt where gunfire erupted Saturday night during what authorities described as a routine traffic stop gone awry.

Forty-four officers have died in the line of duty around the country since 2015 began. Five of those now are from Mississippi. Warren County Deputy Johnny Gatson died in a car accident in March, and Mississippi Gaming Commission Director of Investigations John Gorman was killed in a training accident in January. Deputy U.S. Marshal Josie Wells was killed serving a warrant in Louisiana in March.

One thing all of them had in common as the words of their friends and loved ones were made public was a love for protecting and serving.

Tate, like so many good officers before him, wanted to be a police officer from the time he was young.

The 25-year-old officer with the quick smile had been fascinated with all things law enforcement for as long as anyone could remember. And he loved life, his family said. He loved his family, his friends, his career, and his God.

"He was full of faith. He loved the Lord and that gives us comfort knowing in our faith if you accept Jesus as your savior, this isn't the end, it's the beginning of eternity," said his stepfather Lonnie Ross. "He had that faith in God, and it was reflected in the way he treated people. He was respectful to everyone that met him, everyone he dealt with in his every day job. He was always kind to people, and he represented the best in the Hattiesburg Police Department, no doubt about that."

Tate graduated from the police academy in summer of 2014, and won the Top Marksman award. Ross said Tate, whose biological father was in the military, had always loved firearms, so the award was extra special for him. People warned Tate's family that he was going into a dangerous profession, and expressed concern.

"Everybody loved him. They told us we're giving him up because he was in danger every day. They said to be prepared," he said. "But you're never prepared for this."

Tate also had a passion for working on cars, and worked at Autozone and O'Reilly's at times growing up. At graduation, Ross gave him a used car, and he immediately went to work on it. He put rims on it and installed enough speaker equipment that it took up all the trunk room. After starting work at Hattiesburg Police Department, he got a Ford Explorer, but he kept the first car after all the work he had done on it.

His Facebook page is full of videos he took of himself and friends and family members having fun. There are several from the state fair, where he filmed himself riding the rides and doing the bumper cars. There is a video of a friend dancing vigorously, and one where he demonstrates how fast a tiny dog can run. By all indications, Tate enjoyed the world around him.

"The world lost someone who was the nicest, most compassionate, balanced, loving, full of faith," Ross said. "The world lost an extremely respectful African American male who represented the best of African Americans, the best in the police, and the best young man growing up."

"He could have gone into drugs, or joined a gang,he was exposed to those things," Ross said. "But he got saved, he met the Lord and turned his life around, and instead of going into the direction of gangs and violence, he worked hard."

At one point, Tate's family encouraged him to move to Jackson, but he chose to stay in the city he loved, partially because he thought it was safer than Jackson.

"After 30 years of not having an officer killed in Hattiesburg, and it was Coco..." Ross said.

Deen, 34, was married and had two young children. He was a decorated K9 officer, and a partner to Tomi, a German Shepherd. His life was a little less public than Tate's, with almost no social media presence, but friends said his career spoke for itself.

Rob England, who is now an officer for the Department of Mental Health, worked at the University of Southern Mississippi Police Department for several years and formed a friendship with Deen. He said they have known each other for about seven years.

"He was a good old country boy," England said. "He loved life and loved his family and his job."

WDAM reporter Ryan Moore was the first to release the names of the fallen officers on Twitter. He knew Deen personally as well.

"HPD Officer Benjamin Deen was a great friend and a great officer," he tweeted, along with a photo of Deen and Tomi.

Deen was the Hattiesburg Police Department's Officer of the Year in 2012. He was also given the "Service From The Heart" Award by the Oak Grove Exchange Club that year.

In 2014, Deen was given the award for "Best Attendance by a Sworn Officer" by Hattiesburg PD.

"BJ Deen was a good officer, father, and husband," England said. "And a damn good friend."

Both officers were mourned in social media posts from all over the world. But nowhere more than in their own home state.

Gov. Phil Bryant, a former law enforcement officer himself, commented on the deaths on Sunday morning.

"Deborah and I join all Mississippians this morning in mourning the death of our two police officers in Hattiesburg," he said. "This should remind us to thank all law enforcement for their unwavering service to protect and serve. May God keep them all in the hollow of his hand."

A memorial event was scheduled for the men at the city convention center Monday afternoon.

Also Monday, an initial court appearance was set in Forrest County for Marvin Banks, 29, and Joanie Calloway, 22, who were each charged with two counts of capital murder.

Contact Therese Apel at tapel@gannett.com. Follow @TRex21 on Twitter.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.