Ex-police officer, facing charges in a Mississippi slaying after a chase into Louisiana, denied bond

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A former police officer arrested in connection with a Mississippi slaying after leading law enforcement agencies on a chase into Louisiana was denied bond during a court hearing Friday.

Marcus Johnson, 33, faces a murder charge in the death of 25-year-old Carlos Collins, according to news outlets in Jackson. Police said Collins was attacked with an axe before being shot multiple times early Tuesday at an apartment complex in Jackson.

His public defender argued Friday that Johnson acted in self defense.

Johnson was arrested on Wednesday after a chase that began when a Warren County, Mississippi, sheriff’s deputy spotted him in a car in the Vicksburg area around 5:45 p.m. That began a chase, at times reaching speeds as high as 100 miles per hour (160 kph). It ended roughly 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) to the west in Rayville, Louisiana, where authorities were able to deflate his tires, WAPT reported.

Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade said Johnson had worked for the Jackson Police Department for eight months and quit in September of 2013 while facing disciplinary charges.

Collins was a registered nurse from Yazoo City. Collins’ family told WAPT that several restraining orders had been filed against Johnson.