BRANDON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
Thirty-one-year-old Carnell Gaines, Jr., the man who shot Pearl police officer Mike Walter, had three felony convictions before he was shot to death Tuesday. His criminal history goes back ten years.
Gaines was convicted of felony possession of marijuana in Rankin County in 2002. Then, in 2004, he was convicted of house burglary in Hinds County.
Also in 2004 He had convictions in Jackson for domestic violence, receiving stolen property and resisting arrest.
In 2010, he in trouble in Jackson again. Gaines was convicted on two federal charges; being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. and of being in violation of federal probation.
"When you have a defendant who commits this crime, you look at the criminal history" said District Attorney Michael Guest. "you ask what's he doing out, why is he not behind bars. And that's a question in this case I can't answer. There has never been an instance where Carnell Gaines has not been sent to jail for his conduct. You know, I wish, like everyone else that this had not happened. That Mr. Gaines could have been behind bars at the time of the offense"
"He was looking at being arrested for sexual battery of a nine year old" Guest added. "A child who said she had been sexually battered by Mr. Gaines."
Carnell Gaines was last in jail in June of last year.
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