Deputy cleared in 2023 shooting

Published 11:19 am Wednesday, July 30, 2025

A Lauderdale County sheriff’s deputy was cleared of wrongdoing in a 2023 shooting in which the deputy was injured.

The shooting, which took place on AC Brown Road at approximately 5 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, came as the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department was investigating a fatal shooting that took place the day before.

Former Sheriff Billy Sollie, who has since retired, previously said the deputy spotted the suspect’s car and tried to make a traffic stop. A short chase ended at a house on AC Brown Road, where a gunfight ensued.

The deputy was struck once in the abdomen but made a full recovery. The suspect, 25-year-old Terrell Adam Melillo, was arrested.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation was called in to take over the investigation, which is standard practice in instances of officer-involved shootings. After investigating, MBI shares its findings with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office to review and decide if any charges are appropriate.

In a statement Wednesday, the attorney general’s office said it has completed a review of the incident, as well as officer-involved shootings in Corinth and Gulfport, and found the use of force by law enforcement was justified in all three instances.