Ronnie Lee Shorter

The Washington Post's Fatal Force database records Ronnie Lee Shorter in a fatal on-duty police shooting on 2017-01-21 in Greenville, MS. Individual circumstances and legal outcome require case-specific review.

What happened

Ronnie Lee Shorter was shot and killed by Greenville, Mississippi police on January 21, 2017, after dispatchers received reports of shots fired on Neff Street. Officers initially searched the neighborhood without locating a shooter, but returned to Shorter's home at 309 Neff Street after another caller identified the house. What happened at the doorway became central to federal civil litigation. Officers asserted that Shorter came outside carrying a gun, pointed and fired toward Officer Phillips and continued shooting as officers returned fire. Shorter's estate disputed that police announced themselves and alleged he emerged without a gun and was shot without an opportunity to comply with commands. Shorter died at the scene. Flora Jean Shorter, on behalf of his estate, and Quindarius Smith sued, alleging excessive force and other constitutional violations. An April 2022 federal summary-judgment opinion recounts those incompatible versions and dismissed some defendants and claims while analyzing the others. The court's procedural ruling must not be mistaken for a finding that either account of the shooting was definitively true.

Investigation & findings

Individual legal and investigative outcome not yet reviewed.

What happened

Investigation & findings

Sources & records