Community Honors Fallen Deputy Martin Shields Jr. with Basketball Tournament and Scholarships – WAPT
A basketball tournament and scholarships honor Deputy Martin Shields Jr.’s legacy.
A basketball tournament and scholarships honor Deputy Martin Shields Jr.’s legacy.
A game doesn’t stop grief. But for Katrina Davis and her family, it gave them somewhere to place it.
Two days before what would have been his 38th birthday, the family of Deputy Martin Luther Shields Jr. gathered inside Jackson Academy — not for a celebration, but for a tribute. The “Battle of the Badges” basketball tournament brought together law enforcement officers and first responders from across Mississippi to honor Shields’ life and legacy.
“We’re all grieving, of course, still,” said Katrina Davis, Shields’ aunt and director of marketing for his memorial foundation. “But this has been a positive way to kind of put that energy elsewhere, you know.”
Deputy Shields was shot and killed in February while responding to a domestic disturbance in Terry. His death shook the Hinds County community and beyond.
Now, the Deputy Martin L. Shields Jr. Memorial Foundation is turning that tragedy into purpose — raising money through the tournament to fund scholarships for graduating seniors in the Jackson metro area.
“It warms my heart to see everybody come together for my son,” said Martin Luther Shields Sr., scourtside as teams took the floor.
Participants in the tournament included the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, Jackson Fire Department, Ridgeland Police Department, Jackson Police Department, and Mississippi Highway Patrol.
“Sometimes it’s like a thankless job,” Davis said. “You don’t always get the appreciation you deserve.”
But Saturday, appreciation filled the gym.
Mississippi Highway Patrol trooper Juwan Harden, who knew Shields personally, said the tournament was about more than basketball.
“If somebody passes away — especially in the line of duty — we want to keep their tradition alive the best we can,” Harden said.
The tournament carried meaning not just for players, but for Shields’ family, who said the support has helped them face the difficult months since his death.
“His it’s an uphill battle.”
Though Shields’ badge has been retired, his impact remains in motion — passed like the ball on the court, from hand to hand, from heart to heart.
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