A Mississippi judge was found dead in her home last week after her son fatally stabbed her, according to The Sun Herald.
Jackson County Justice Court Judge Sheila Jackson Osgood, 65, was found stabbed to death Wednesday at her home at 3600 Davis Street. Police later shot and killed her son, Gregory Jackson Jr., 45, who charged at police officers with a large knife.
According to the Moss Point Police Department, “The suspect refused several commands to drop his weapon and continued to advance on officers. His actions caused the responding officers to discharge their firearms, fatally wounding the suspect.”
Moss Point Police Department released a statement on its Facebook page.
Judge Osgood’s family appeared at City Hall on Friday to discuss the incident and to tell the community it supported how Moss Point police officers used lethal force against Osgood’s son.
“My mother was the definition of a strong Black woman,” Osgood’s son Nubian Holmes said. “There was nothing she could not handle. She taught us with faith, all things are possible.”
Holmes also requested that the community support the action of the police officers.
“Their commitment to peace, understanding, and compassion first is why we are not grieving three lives this evening,” he said. “A lot of people don’t know that. They handled it compassionately. I thank them. I know their officers are on administrative leave and I want to say to their families, ‘Be proud of those officers.’
“Don’t condemn them for what they did …. to protect everybody,” he said. “Don’t judge them. Celebrate them and support them because we do.”
According to the Associated Press, former Moss Point Police Chief Calvin Hutchins said Osgood, who had served as a judge for years, “wanted to help the community.”
“Wherever there was a need, she would reach out and do all she could to help the community,” he said. “She had a service heart and she would do everything she could to make everybody happy.”