Dodson trial underway in DeSoto County Circuit Court
Photo: District Attorney Matthew Barton presents his case to the jury on Monday afternoon in DeSoto County Circuit Court. The case against Kyle Dodson is the first time Barton has argued a case in court as District Attorney since his November 2023 election and term of service began in January. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Testimony was being heard Monday afternoon after jury selection was completed in a trial of a Memphis man accused of attempted murder. Kyle Dodson of Memphis is being tried in DeSoto County Circuit Court for allegedly ambushing a Southaven police officer in March of last year.
DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton is trying the case for the prosecution, the first trial he has argued in court since become the new District Attorney.
Dodson is charged with attempted murder in connection with an auto burglary in progress that began in Southaven and led officers into Memphis. The complete list of charges includes attempted murder, fugitive from justice, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to unlawfully possess a motor vehicle. Barton says he is seeking a life sentence for Dodson, if convicted.
According to reports, Southaven police encountered a stolen Nissan Maxima in Southaven last March that led to the discovery of another auto burglary in progress. The officer attempted to deploy stop sticks to stop the Nissan Maxima when he was ambushed with gunfire by Dodson, who was in the process of stealing a second Nissan Maxima.
A security doorbell camera across the street caught the shootout, which resulted in Dodson being shot in the ankle. The other assailants fled the scene but were later arrested.
Dodson pleaded not guilty to the charges. He has been held in the DeSoto County Adult Detention Center since his arrest on March 24, 2023.
Memphis Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, and the District Attorney’s Office assisted Southaven police with the investigation.
It is expected that the trial could be finished later in the week.
