Investigators: Fake cop killed Waveland man for wallet

HANCOCK COUNTY, MS (WLOX) - Police are releasing more information about a robbery and shooting that claimed the life of a Waveland man early Wednesday morning.

Glenn Grannan, Chief Investigator with the Hancock County Sheriff's Department, said Clifford Burke was pulled over by a car set up to look like a law enforcement vehicle before he was shot.

"This is as awful as it gets," Grannan said. "This is as senseless as it gets."

Grannan said the 68-year-old was pulling his boat to the boat launch to go fishing when he pulled over for the flashing lights in the area of Lakeshore Rd. and Pleasure St. around 5:40 a.m.

"The white Crown Vic had blue lights set up in the grill to look like a law enforcement vehicle," Grannan said.

Investigators said the driver of that car - Christopher May - confronted Burke and shot him twice before stealing his wallet.

Burke flagged down help to drive him to the hospital, Chief Deputy Don Bass said. Before he died, Burke reportedly told the people who helped him he had been robbed and described the suspect vehicle.

Burke died later Wednesday morning at Memorial Hospital in Gulfport. Grannan says Burke was a retiree "living the dream" before he was killed in a senseless act of violence.

According to Grannan, May is in custody and will be charged with capital murder and impersonating a law enforcement officer. The white Crown Victoria is in the possession of the sheriff's department, but Grannan says deputies are still searching the scene near the shooting for the murder weapon.

Deputies are not looking for any other suspects at this time, but the investigation is ongoing.

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