JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
A Mississippi State Trooper credited with thwarting an armed robbery attempt last week and then exchanging gunfire with the suspect is giving his account of the incident.
Trooper 1st Class Marvin Henderson II came upon the robbery in progress in the Metrocenter Mall parking lot Friday and exchanged gunfire with Wilbert Coleman, who fled and was later captured.
Henderson said he was in the right place at the right time.
"I heard someone say, 'He's got my purse.' I started moving in that direction. My first instinct was to run and possibly try to tackle him," says Henderson.
He immediately ordered to thieves to stop and then fired a shot. That's when he took cover from return fire.
Trooper Henderson says, "I was running as soon as I took my first four steps I heard another shot I knew that wasn't my shot because I had holstered my pistol. Once I saw the handgun and knew they had committed a crime of armed robbery with a handgun I knew they had to be caught."
Investigators say the shooting suspect, Wilbert Coleman, jumped in a green Buick driven by Erica Johnson. They fled onto Highway 80, but Trooper Henderson was able to grab Johnson as she circled back towards the mall.
Johnson was denied bond during her initial appearance Tuesday, and she denied her involvement as she was leaving court.
When Coleman was caught Monday, he was wearing a purple dress. It's not his first time in women's clothes, nor is it his first brush with the law. WLBT News featured him in a news story in April of 2011 when he was captured by Hinds County deputies during a prostitution sting called "Operation: Love 'Em and Leave 'Em."
Coleman's initial court appearance in this latest series of events is set for Wednesday.
Henderson says he's not a hero, but he is a Marine and Gulf War veteran. He's also an amputee, losing a leg in a motorcycle accident that almost ended his career in law enforcement -- a job he loves and will always be dedicated to, helping people.
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