Mississippi man sentenced to 15 years for ammunition offense involving shooting of MHP Trooper

Aberdeen, MS - A federal judge sentenced Stanley Self, Jr. to fifteen years in federal prison for his illegal possession of ammunition in an incident in which a Trooper with the Mississippi Highway Patrol was shot. Self, 25 years old, had been previously convicted of multiple felony offenses, including robbery and aggravated assault, and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

On May 2, 2023, a Trooper with the Mississippi Highway Patrol conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Self in Bolivar County, Mississippi. Self fled from the Trooper, leading him on a high speed chase through Bolivar County in which speeds topped in excess of 120 miles per hour. Self's flight from the officers occurred during the morning commute and resulted in him passing multiple school busses, endangering the students and drivers on their way to school. Self eventually lost control of his vehicle and shot the Trooper while attempting to flee on foot. The firearm was never recovered in this case after the shooting, but the shell casing of the bullets fired by Self were recovered and formed the basis of the federal charge in this matter.

U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Self in Aberdeen on Tuesday following a sentencing hearing. During the sentencing hearing, the Trooper testified about the speed of the chase, the dangerousness to the public at large during the chase, and the impact that being shot by Self has had on him. More than a year and a half has elapsed without the Trooper being able to return to active duty since being shot by Self due to the serious nature of the injuries that he suffered. Self will serve this sentence concurrently with any sentence that he receives for state offenses relating to this incident.

"This defendant received the maximum possible sentence for possessing the ammunition used in the shooting of a law enforcement officer who was engaged in the performance of his duties and protecting and serving the public," said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. "Self's actions on May 2^nd endangered the public and took the career of a law enforcement officer. Actions such as these will not be tolerated."

"The actions of this defendant were reckless, violent, and endangered countless lives, including the life of a Mississippi State Trooper who has dedicated himself to protecting the citizens of Mississippi. This case is a stark reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers face every day while upholding their commitment to public safety," said Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell. "I commend the outstanding work of the Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations, and our federal partners in bringing this individual to justice. We remain steadfast in our mission to hold offenders accountable and to ensure the safety of our communities."

"Today's sentencing means that Stanley Self, Jr. will be held accountable for engaging in violent crime in the community," said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. "Protecting the lives of our law enforcement partners, like our MHP Trooper in this case, and protecting the public are cornerstones of what our agency seeks to accomplish every day. No matter how long it takes, we will investigate, arrest, prosecute and ensure accountability."

The case was investigated by the ATF Oxford, Mississippi Field Office. Valuable contributions were made by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Hampton and John Herzog, Jr. prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.