By Brian Livingston
Children playing near Gallagher's Creek in the 4400 block of Terry Street discovered the body of a man in the water Wednesday.
Capt. James Sharpe, commander of the Meridian Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division, said the department has launched a death investigation to try and determine the circumstances surrounding the man's demise.
"It is a black man but we are going to withhold all other identifying information until all of the relatives are notified," said Sharpe as he stood just yards from the scene.
Sharpe said the body will be taken to Jackson for an autopsy to be performed so the cause of death can be determined.
Sharpe said several children of the surrounding neighborhood were playing in the area of the creek at about 4:30 p.m. when they saw the body lying in several inches of water in the creek. MPD patrolmen were then called to the scene and the area was cordoned off until detectives could arrive and start to process the scene.
Sharpe said early estimates were that the body had been in the creek between 12 and 24 hours. A dive team was in the area late Wednesday searching the knee-deep water for evidence, officials said.
