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Man accused of killing two Mississippi police officers found dead in his cell

Posted at 4:52 PM, Dec 12, 2015
and last updated 2015-12-12 18:52:23-05
By Faith Karimi

CNN

(CNN) — A suspect in the fatal shooting of two Mississippi police officers has died after he was found unresponsive in his cell, authorities said.

Marvin Banks faced two counts of capital murder charges in the deaths of Hattiesburg officers Benjamin Deen and Liquori Tate in May.

Banks was found unconscious in his cell, where emergency crews performed CPR, said investigator Nick Calico of the Forrest County Sheriff’s Department.

He was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead Friday night.

Fallen officers

Deen, 34, and Tate, 24, were making a traffic stop on May 9 when they were shot. Four suspects fled the crime scene after the shooting, allegedly stealing a police cruiser and using it as a getaway car, authorities said at the time.

Other suspects

In addition to the capital murder accusations, Banks, 29, faced grand theft auto and firearm charges.

His brother, Curtis Banks, was charged with two counts of accessory after the fact of capital murder. A third suspect, Cornelius Clark, was charged with obstruction of justice.

Another suspect, Joanie Calloway, 22, was charged with two counts of capital murder, authorities said.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigations will oversee Banks’ autopsy. Banks was in an isolation cell and there were no immediate signs of foul play, Calico said.

CNN’s Keith Allen and Ben Brumfield contributed to this report.

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