Teen brothers remain jailed after Mount Olive deputy shooting as Yates Rodney continues recovery 

A traffic stop over an alleged seat belt violation turned into a gunfight, a sprawling search and a life-changing injury for a young Mississippi deputy. 

Covington County Deputy Yates Rodney was critically wounded on June 8 after authorities say two teenage brothers fled from a traffic stop and opened fire near a grocery store in downtown Mount Olive. Cortavious Lawayne Hobbs, then 18, and Cortavion Dewayne Hobbs, 19, were captured beneath a nearby house about 10 hours later.

Both brothers now face two counts of attempted capital murder and one count of hindering prosecution. Cortavion Hobbs also faces a felony fleeing charge. The allegations remain pending in court, and neither man has been convicted in connection with the shooting.

A seat belt stop turned into a chase 

The encounter began around 2:30 p.m. when Rodney attempted to stop a blue SUV after reportedly noticing that the driver was not wearing a seat belt, according to the Covington County Sheriff’s Office. 

Authorities said Rodney saw what he believed to be narcotics and other contraband while speaking with the occupants. The SUV then sped away, leading deputies down Main Street and onto Fourth Street near the Mount Olive post office and Cash Saver grocery store.

The vehicle eventually became stuck while its driver tried to enter a driveway. Investigators said Cortavious Hobbs, who was riding as a passenger, got out and initially lay on the ground with his hands raised. 

Deputy Austin Riels arrived to assist Rodney. Authorities allege Cortavious suddenly got back up, retrieved a gun and fired at Rodney. Riels returned fire as both brothers escaped on foot without reported injuries. Several weapons were later found inside the abandoned SUV, according to WDAM.  

Sheriff Darrell Perkins later said investigators found evidence indicating Cortavion, who had allegedly been driving, also fired during the confrontation. That development led authorities to upgrade the charges against him.  

A 10-hour search ended beneath a house 

The shooting triggered a massive response across southern Mississippi. The FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Mississippi Department of Public Safety, and sheriff’s offices from surrounding counties joined the search. 

Officers used information supplied by residents, including cellphone videos and doorbell camera footage, to follow the suspects’ movements through Mount Olive. A statewide Blue Alert warned residents that suspects accused of shooting a law enforcement officer remained at large.  

The breakthrough came shortly after 1 a.m. on June 9. A homeowner on Bluff Street contacted authorities after discovering the brothers beneath his house, where officials said they had been staying for about a week. 

Law enforcement officers surrounded the property and arrested both men without further gunfire. The Mississippi Department of Public Safety said the arrests occurred at approximately 1:20 a.m. 

Mississippi Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell called the day emotionally difficult for officers and their families. 

“Days like yesterday leave you speechless,” Tindell wrote following the arrests. “They are heavy. They are hard.”  

Both brothers were denied bond 

The brothers appeared in Covington County Justice Court on June 10. Judge Bobby Wayne Mooney denied bond on the attempted capital murder charges and set a $250,000 bond for each hindering prosecution charge. 

Cortavion received an additional $250,000 bond on the felony fleeing charge. The judge described the allegations as among the most serious crimes committed against a Covington County law enforcement officer in roughly a century.  

At a later preliminary hearing in July, Mooney again denied Cortavious Hobbs bond after prosecutors discussed evidence recovered near the house where the brothers were found. The judge cited concerns that the defendant could pose a danger to the community or attempt to flee.  

No trial outcome has been announced. Prosecutors will still have to prove the charges in court, where both defendants are entitled to the presumption of innocence. 

Rodney faced a frightening medical battle 

Rodney was struck above his protective vest, near his armpit and shoulder. The bullet damaged his spinal column, and officials reported that he was paralyzed from the waist down after undergoing emergency treatment at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg. 

Mississippi Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson, who attends church with Rodney’s family, visited the deputy in the hospital. Gipson said Rodney had one request for the public. 

“He asked me to ask everyone out there to pray that he would walk again,” Gipson said. 

Rodney, who was recently married, was later transferred to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta for specialized spinal cord rehabilitation. In a July interview, he described believing that he might not survive the roadside shooting. 

“I was so certain that I was going to die,” Rodney said, recalling that he asked a fellow officer to retrieve his phone so he could speak with his wife.

A community gathered around one of its own 

The response did not stop when the search ended. Blood drives were organized to replace blood products used during Rodney’s emergency care, and law enforcement agencies joined fundraisers supporting his recovery. 

When Rodney left Mississippi for treatment, more than 30 law enforcement vehicles gathered at the Hattiesburg airport. Officers stood in salute as he was moved from an ambulance to a plane bound for Atlanta. (https://www.wlbt.com) 

Rodney had previously served for two years as a school resource officer at Northeast Jones High School. Students, school employees and families joined the wider community in supporting the deputy after the shooting.

His recovery has also included lighter moments. In July, Rodney spoke by video call with 4-year-old Slater Bynum, a Mississippi boy working toward a goal of meeting 1,000 law enforcement officers. 

“The fact that I get to be one of those 1,000 police officers is an honor,” Rodney said. “It’s going to motivate me to get better every day.”

A separate case involving their younger brother 

Authorities have confirmed that Cortavious and Cortavion are brothers of 17-year-old Cordarius Hobbs, who faces charges in an unrelated Simpson County case. 

Cordarius is accused of killing Billy Blair, 74, and Virginia Carol Blair, 71, at their Mendenhall home on June 3. He faces 13 charges, including two counts of capital murder, burglary and multiple aggravated assault counts. He pleaded not guilty and was denied bond.

The family connection does not establish guilt in either case. Each prosecution involves separate allegations, evidence and court proceedings. 

For Mount Olive, the story now moves along two very different paths. One unfolds inside a courtroom, where serious charges must be tested under the law. The other continues inside a rehabilitation center, where a wounded deputy is working through the difficult daily task of rebuilding his life.