Sergeant Steven Robin and Officer Branden Estorffe are the two Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, police officers who were shot and killed by a veterinarian at a Motel 6 parking lot on December 14, 2022.
The law enforcement and political communities joined together in praising the men for their sacrifice and heroism. Robin was 34-years-old. Estorffe was 23. Bay St. Louis police wrote on Facebook:
The Bay St. Louis Police Department, as an agency in mourning, sadly reports the death of Sergeant Steven Robin and Officer Branden Estorffe, both killed in the line of duty during the morning of December 14, 2022. This tragic loss is a sad day for the Bay St. Louis Community and law enforcement. We would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding during this trying time.
Bay St. Louis is a city located in Hancock County, Mississippi. The murders occurred in the early morning hours of Wednesday, December 14. The suspect, Amy Anderson, shot herself dead at the scene, authorities said in a news release.
“A tragedy occurred here today in the city of Bay St. Louis as two of our finest officers’ lives were taken,” said Bay St. Louis Police Chief Toby Schwartz. “We are gathering facts and will ensure a thorough investigation into this matter.”
Here’s what you need to know about Robin:
The Chief Called Robin & Estorffe Outstanding Officers
Toby Schwartz, Bay St. Louis police chief, said in a December 15, 2022, news conference that he wanted to take the time to “talk about the lives of two heroes that sacrificed their lives for the good of society.”
Sgt. Steven Robin was employed with the Bay St. Louis police force since 2019. He began his law enforcement career in 2010. He also worked for the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department and another police department. He was a 12-year veteran of law enforcement “promoted through the ranks to become a sergeant.”
“He took his role in mentoring others quite seriously,” Schwartz said. “He knew it was his job to make great cops out of young rookies. He truly embraced his place as a role model in the profession.”
He added: “Steven did his job as a supervisor extremely well.” He said Robin “provided so much more to those entering the profession.” He said he “provided the love support and encouragement they needed to do their jobs.”
Robin was a husband, father and grandparent, according to Schwartz.
Estorffe joined the police force in 2021. He “followed in father’s footsteps. He is new to the profession. Branden grew up surrounded by tons of other police officers, all of whom would watch out for him.”
Schwartz called him an “exceptional cadet, truly going places in law enforcement.” He remembered his maturity and politeness and said Estorffe had “a professionalism about him that not many 23 years olds have.”
Noted Schwartz: “He worked hard to do his best each and every day, knowing he made his father and every inherited police father and mother and his mother extremely proud.”
U.S. Senator Roger Wicker posted video of the police procession to his Facebook page.
“Gayle and I join officers across the Gulf Coast who have come out in full force to show their support for Bay St. Louis police officers Sergeant Steven Robin and Branden Estorffe. These public servants selflessly lost their lives in the line of duty today,” he wrote.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to our law enforcement officers who keep us safe every day.”
Other videos showed police escorting Robin’s body to the funeral home.
You can read about Estorffe, 23, here. Estorffe was remembered for his patient and loving demeanor as well as his bright smile. He was described by a training officer as “absolutely a Warrior, a Great Police Officer, and an Amazing person!”
The Mayor Asked for Prayers for the Officers’ Families & the Police Department
Tributes flowed for the two officers. One came from the Bay St. Louis mayor.
“This is a very sad situation, and our deepest thoughts and condolences go out to the families of our lost officers,” said Bay St. Louis Mayor Mike Favre, in a news release.
“We ask that you pray for the City of Bay St. Louis, the Bay St. Louis Police Department and their families and that you keep them in your thoughts in the coming days and weeks during this difficult time.”
The Governor Declared Himself ‘Heartbroken’ Over the Officers’ Deaths
“I am heartbroken by this terrible loss of two brave law enforcement officers. I am praying for their family, friends, their fellow officers, and the entire Bay St. Louis community,” said Governor Tate Reeves, in the news release.
“Every single day across Mississippi, our law enforcement members place their lives on the line in constant and repeated acts of selfless sacrifice for their community. They are a key reason that the rest of us are safely and freely able to live our lives. They are the thin blue line.”
Estorffe & Robin Responded to a Welfare Check Call at a Motel 6
FacebookAmy Brogdon Anderson
In a press release, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, wrote that, at approximately 4:30 a.m., Bay St. Louis Police Department officers Branden Estorffe (23 years old) and Steven Robin (34 years old), “responded to a call for a welfare check at the Motel 6 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, located at 1003 Highway 90.”
Upon arriving, “the two officers encountered a female subject, 43-year-old Amy Anderson, who was sitting in a parked vehicle along with a minor female.”
The release continued:
After nearly a 30-minute interaction with Anderson, during which time a child protective services resource was called, Anderson discharged a weapon from inside the vehicle striking both officers. Officer Robin received fatal injuries at the scene and Officer Estorffe succumbed to his injuries a short time later. Anderson died at the scene as a result of a gunshot wound to her chest.
Anderson was a mother and veterinarian from Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
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