Mississippi Police Officers Dead After Welfare Check

While it has never been easy to be a police officer, recent years have seen an uptick in deaths on the front lines for these everyday heroes. In addition, some areas of the country have waned in their support for law enforcement, making it trickier for them to do their job. Now, two officers have lost their lives in the line of duty after following up on a welfare check at a local motel.

On Wednesday, December 14, Bay St. Louis Police Department officers Branden Estorffe, 23, and Steven Robin, 34, arrived at a Motel 6 to speak with Amy Anderson, 43, after she asked the front desk to call 911 when she thought someone was following her. After talking for a half hour, the mother of three exchanged gunfire with both officers when they asked her to stay and wait for Child Protective Services.

Robin died at the scene, while Estorffe passed away at a nearby hospital from his wounds. While initial reports said Anderson took her own life, the investigation later revealed it was a bullet from one of the officers that killed her. Anderson’s eight-year-old daughter was sitting in the vehicle’s front seat when this tragedy occurred.

The city will lay the officers to rest in a joint funeral soon, and a thorough investigation is underway.