CLARKSDALE, Miss. — WREG had the only cameras rolling as officers escorted Leandrew Booker into the Clarksdale Police station.
Officers said Booker is one of the men in surveillance video with Johnny Robinson, Jr., who is accused of shooting Corporal Derrick Couch.
“Y’all got to understand that I’m very emotional being (that) one of our officers — I’m very close to Derrick. (I’m) very close to all of my officers,” Cheif William Read, with the Clarksdale Police Department, said.
Investigators believe Robinson acted alone when shooting Corporal Couch moments after the Corner Grocery store was robbed.
Booker, also known as “Little Teddy”, was arrested for the robbery.
“Very worried — tense because somebody that we love is hurt,” Lynn Logan said.
Logan said things have not been the same in Clarksdale since news broke about the cop shooting.
She said officer couch was like a brother.
“It hits home. It hits close,” Logan explained. “It is like a blood member of your family being affected. Someone putting their life on the line everyday for you and something like this happens. It makes the community pull together.”
Many are using blue ribbons to show their bond and demonstrate their support for police in their city.
“I hope it brings our law enforcement closer together, our sheriff and police departments closer together. I hope it brings our community closer together to show that we have to have law enforcement. We have to have it,” Scotty Meredith said.
A fund has been set up at Regions Bank to help the injured officer and his family.
“Clarksdale catches a bad rap but we’ve got some of the finest people in the country that live right here,” Meredith explained.
Any donations for Officer Derrick Couch can be dropped off at the Mayor’s Office or deposited at any Regions Bank account #0234115633. Make all checks payable to Chris Favi/Benefits of Derrick Couch.
