Walls Crash Victims Identified; DeSoto Detention Officer Killed
The Mississippi Highway Patrol on Thursday identified the three people killed in Wednesday night’s crash on U.S. Highway 61 in Walls, a collision involving a Walls Police Department vehicle. The Walls crash victims include a DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office juvenile detention officer, and a second detention officer was seriously hurt.
The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office called the officer’s death a loss that “reaches far beyond our agency” in a statement released Thursday afternoon.
Walls Crash Victims Named by MHP
According to the Mississippi Highway Patrol, troopers responded at about 8:04 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, to a two-vehicle crash on U.S. 61 in DeSoto County. MHP said a 2026 Dodge Durango driven by Da’Quarius M. Burton, 27, of Memphis, was traveling north on U.S. 61 when it collided with a 2021 Honda Accord driven by Latasha N. Dodson, 37, which was traveling west on Church Road.
Three people in the Honda were pronounced dead at the scene:
- Latasha N. Dodson, 37, of Horn Lake
- Tamenshia R. Ford, 32, of Horn Lake
- Eddie L. Dodson Jr., 41, of Byhalia
Burton and another passenger in the Honda were injured and taken to a local hospital, according to the reports. The DeSoto Times reported that video from the scene showed a Walls Police Department vehicle, a Dodge Durango, being towed from the crash site. Walls Mayor Keidron Henderson has confirmed that one of the town’s patrol officers was involved in the collision.
The DeSoto Times also reported that Eddie and Latasha Dodson were married and that Ford was Latasha Dodson’s sister, citing social media posts.
Sheriff’s Office Mourns Juvenile Detention Officer
The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Ford worked at its Juvenile Detention Center. The injured passenger in the Honda is also a detention officer with the agency, the department said. That officer has not been publicly named.
In a release titled “Sheriff’s Office mourns lives lost in Nov. 4 crash,” the office under Sheriff Thomas E. Tuggle II described its fallen officer as “a respected and beloved member of our team” who served with “kindness, compassion, and dedication to the young people entrusted to our care.”
The statement also thanked the friends, neighbors, churches and public servants who have reached out to the families and to staff, and asked the public to respect the families’ privacy.
Crash Remains Under Investigation
The Mississippi Highway Patrol is leading the investigation. As of Thursday evening, officials had not released a cause of the crash, and neither the Sheriff’s Office nor the Town of Walls would speculate on its findings.
In a statement Thursday morning, Mayor Henderson said the town’s “foremost concern is for the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives” and that the community is also keeping the officer involved and his family in its thoughts. The intersection of Highway 61 and Church Road lies just south of Goodman Road in Walls, where all lanes were closed for hours Wednesday night.
DeSoto County News will update this story as MHP releases more information.
Related: Fatal Crash Involving Walls Police Department Vehicle on Highway 61 in Walls
Source: DeSoto Times, with information from the Mississippi Highway Patrol and the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office
