The rural Phoenix community joined forces with local authorities to track down a fleeing burglary suspect, who was soon held at gunpoint by a concerned citizen.
Damon Henderson, 29, was charged with burglary and failure to comply.
Terry Gann, chief investigator with the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Department, said two other suspects remain at large with the victim’s stolen truck. But he said Henderson was apprehended after a foot chase ended in the woods within the Phoenix community last weekend.
“The whole community of Phoenix knew I was chasing this suspect,” Gann said. “This area is a tight knit community, and they pulled together to help track down the suspect.”
The incident began with a house burglary in the area with three suspects, including Henderson. Two suspects broke into the home, stealing a variety of items.
“They then loaded the stolen items into the victim’s truck and stole it,” Gann said. “For whatever reason, Henderson was left behind. They left him down the road from the house.”
Gann said he spotted Henderson standing in a field, leading to a foot pursuit.
“I chased him through the woods, but I lost sight of him when I had trouble crossing a creek,” Gann said. “By this time, the entire community heard about the chase. Another homeowner was sitting in some nearby woods, waiting on the suspect. He saw him and held him at gunpoint until we got there to arrest him.”
The two remaining suspects remained at large as of press time, and the stolen items have yet to be recovered. Gann said the stolen truck was spotted in Terry over the weekend. The truck is a green 1997 GMC with the front grill busted and a tag number of YA11972. To report the whereabouts of the suspects or truck, call the sheriff’s department at 746-5611.
