The date was Thursday, August 13th, 2020. It was a day like many others this time of year, just another one of those ho-hum, hot summer evenings. Then the call came through. Immediately Jonesboro Police Department Assistant Chief Cierra Murphy responded to the Jackson Square Apartments where gun shots had been reported.

“When I got there the first thing I noticed was a solid trail of blood leading to an upstairs apartment,” recalled Murphy. “I entered the apartment and saw a man lying on the floor in a large pool of blood.”

Seeing that the blood was pouring out of a wound in the injured man’s upper left leg, Murphy quickly realized that emergency procedures was needed or the victim would soon bleed to death.

“The way the blood was pumping out it was obvious that the shot had hit the major artery in his leg and I had to get the blood flow stopped or I knew he would soon bleed out,” said Murphy. “I saw a shirt nearby, grabbed it up and made a make-shift tourniquet which I applied above the wound.”

Within minutes additional Jonesboro Police Officers, Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office Deputies and Emergency Responders with the Ambulance Service arrived, secured the area and stabilized the victim who at last report was expected to eventually make a full recovery.

“There is no question that Assistant Chief Murphy saved this young man’s life,” said Jonesboro Police Chief James “Spike” Harris. “It is a true blessing to have someone with her knowledge and capability on our force.”

According to the police report the shooting victim Michael C. Stepps of Jonesboro had been arguing outside the apartment complex with Jimmie D. Amos, who is from Jonesboro but lists an East Raceland, LA address as his current place of residence.

The argument escalated to the point of Amos pulling a gun and shooting Stepps. Once upon the scene Jonesboro Police Chief Harris and Jackson Parish Sheriff Deputies began to canvas the area where they found Amos hiding in an apartment, arrested him without incident and transported him to the Jackson Parish Correctional Center for booking.

Amos, who was already on parole from a prior incident in Webster Parish and now has a hold on him by the Minden Office of Probation and Parole was charged with Aggravated 2nd Degree Battery and Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Further investigation into the matter is continuing.