January 2023 Blues Vol 39 No. 1

AROUND THE COUNTRY yrs.

AROUND THE COUNTRY yrs. BAY ST. LOUIS, MS Bay St. Louis Police Sgt. Steven Robin and Officer Branden Estorffe were gunned down by a woman they encountered on a welfare check. By Holly Matkin Bay St. Louis, MS – Bay St. Louis Police Department (BSLPD) Sergeant Steven Robin and Officer Branden Estorffe were murdered in the line of duty while responding to welfare check early Wednesday morning, according to investigators. The incident occurred at a Motel 6 on Highway 90 at about 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 14, WLOX reported. When they arrived at the scene, Sgt. Robin, 34, and Officer Estorffe, 23, made contact with a woman who was sitting in a parked vehicle with a juvenile female inside, according to WLOX. The woman was later identified as 43-year-old Amy Anderson, police said. After speaking with Anderson for about a half-hour, Sgt. Robin and Officer Estorffe determined that Child Protection Services (CPS) should be contacted, WLOX reported. Details regarding what led the officers to make that determination were not immediately released. Investigators said Anderson was still sitting inside the vehicle when she opened fire on the SERGEANT STEVEN ROBIN officers, mortally wounding them both, WLOX reported. Sgt. Robin was pronounced dead at the scene. Officer Estorffe was rushed to Memorial Hospital in Gulfport, where he succumbed to his wounds a short while later, WLOX reported. “Two of our finest officers’ lives were taken,” BSLPD Chief Toby Schwartz confirmed, calling the incident a “tragedy.” Police initially said the suspect fatally shot herself after shooting the officers, WLOX reported. She was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the chest. Investigators said it is still OFFICER BRANDEN ESTORFFE possible Anderson shot herself, but that further investigation has revealed one of the officers was able to return fire during the confrontation, WLOX reported. It is unclear whether the officer’s bullet struck her. An autopsy will determine her exact cause of death, WLOX reported. The current whereabouts of the juvenile who was inside the Anderson’s vehicle when police first arrived at the scene has not been released. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is handling the ongoing investigation, WLOX reported. “The Bay St. Louis Police Department, as an agency in mourning, sadly reports the death of Sergeant Steven Robin and Officer Branden Estorffe, both killed in the line of duty during the morning of December 14, 2022,” the BSLPD said in a press release on Wednesday afternoon. “This tragic loss is a sad day for the Bay St. Louis Community and law enforcement. We would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding during this trying time.” Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said in a statement that he is “heartbroken” over the “terrible loss of two brave law enforcement officers.” “I am praying for their family, friends, their fellow officers, and the entire Bay St. Louis community,” Reeves wrote. “Every single day across Mississippi, our law enforcement members place their lives on the line in constant and repeated acts of selfless sacrifice for their community,” the governor continued. “They are a key reason that the rest of us are safely and freely able to live our lives. They ARE the thin blue line.” We are ready for 2023! Experience the only first responder owned and operated THEME studio in the Country! 10 years strong! We are Family! We look forward to seeing you soon! 22 The BLUES The BLUES 23