Patrolman Buford Dedeaux was killed in the line of duty in Gulfport in the early morning hours of June 8, 1979. Around 12:30 a.m. he stopped a man on a bicycle near 25th Avenue and 34th Street. During the stop the man produced a .22‑caliber handgun that had been concealed in a duffel bag and an exchange of gunfire followed. Dedeaux was struck twice and, though mortally wounded, radioed for assistance before losing consciousness; he was found in the front seat of his patrol car and died shortly after officers arrived.

Investigators recovered a yellow bicycle, a green ditty bag, a blue watch cap, several spent .22‑caliber casings and Patrolman Dedeaux’s service revolver. Later the same day a 22‑year‑old, Arthur Ray Lanier, was arrested at his grandmother’s home. Lanier gave a videotaped statement two days later admitting he shot Dedeaux and saying the shooting occurred as he removed the pistol while complying with an order to empty his bag; he said he fired back while retreating after Dedeaux fired first.

Lanier was tried repeatedly for Dedeaux’s murder; the case went through multiple retrials with convictions and death sentences at different times, and a later conviction carried life without parole. Does anyone have additional details about Dedeaux’s life or service, or information that could shed light on the encounter that night?