U.S. Marshal Shot, Killed Trying to Arrest Fugitive

BATON ROUGE, La. -- The deputy U.S. marshal who died Tuesday after a shootout with a suspect near Baton Rouge knew he wanted to work in law enforcement while he was growing up in Jackson County.

Josie Wells, 27, came from a family with a criminal justice background and knew as a kid that it was what he wanted to do, said lifelong friend Alex McGee, also a fellow East Central High graduate and football player.

"It was his passion," McGee said. "I tipped my hat to him because he knew the dangers and wanted to do the job anyway."

Wells died of his injuries after being wounded in a shootout Tuesday while trying to serve a warrant. He and others had been looking for Jamie D. Croom, a 31-year-old man who was wanted in the double murder of a brother and sister outside a New Roads, La., nightclub the morning after Mardi Gras.

Wells was temporarily assigned to work in the Baton Rouge area, though he worked out of the U.S. Marshal's Service's Southern District Office in Jackson.

He was married but had no children, and had recently re-located to Jackson after working in the St. Louis area, McGee said.

Wells graduated from East Central in 2006. He was a defensive tackle and wore jersey number 61 for the school, located in the Hurley community near Moss Point.

Friends said his father, Obie Wells Sr., retired from the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. His brother, Obie Wells Jr., works for the Jackson Police Department. They believe he has other relatives who also choice law enforcement as a profession.

"They're a great family and a big part of our community," said Gary Long, East Central athletic director. "It's a shame for the family. I know they're hurting."

Josie Wells also had a lifelong dream of studying criminal justice at Jackson State, the alma mater of several family members, McGee said.

"We grew up together," McGee said. "We laughed together. We cried together. I still don't want to believe it's true."

McGee said Wells tended to be quiet, "but on your worst day, he could crack a smile or a joke and he lit up the room with an infectious smile."

McGee said he last saw Wells in November as they sat in the stands to watch East Central's final football game of the season.

"We talked about how fast life was moving," McGee said. "It seemed like just a few years ago when we were out there on the field."

"He was more than a classmate," McGee said. "He was like my brother."

How Wells has been a deputy marshal wasn't immediately clear. Workers at his home office referred questions to USMS headquarters in Washington, D.C.

USMS spokeswoman Donna Sellers said information on his background was being gathered later Tuesday.

The Advocate and Patrick Magee, Sun Herald sports writer, contributed to this report.

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