Woman who killed two Mississippi officers died when police returned fire

Amy Brogdon Anderson reportedly told her 8-year-old daughter to hand her the gun used to kill the officers

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Dec. 17, 2022

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. – Amy Brogdon Anderson was identified as the woman who murdered Sgt. Steven Robin and Officer Branden Estorffe in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi on Wednesday. Initially it was believed that she died by suicide, but that is incorrect. She was killed as Estorffe returned fire simultaneous to being shot himself, authorities said.

Investigation revealed that Anderson — a veterinarian — shot Robin first before turning the weapon on Estorffe. She fired simultaneous to Estorffe returning fire and all three were killed, Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell told WLOX News.

The gun battle occurred while Anderson’s 8-year-old daughter was in the car. Moreover, the veterinarian reportedly obtained the weapon from the young girl as they were in the vehicle.

“Momma told me to give her the gun, so I gave her the gun,” the blood-spattered child told another guest at the motel, after the police were ambushed, the Daily Mail reported Saturday.

The girl also said she saw her mother shoot the officers.

“Momma shot the cops and momma was shot. Her eyes are open and she is breathing a little bit,” the girl told the other guest.

Steven Robin
Sgt. Steven Robin, left, and Officer Branden Estorffe were shot and killed Wednesday. (Bay St. Louis Police Dept.)

Tindell told WLOX News that Anderson checked into the Motel 6 in Bay St. Louis at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. By 3:35 a.m., the woman was in distress and asked the front desk manager to call 911. Four minutes later, Robin and Estorffe arrived. They met Anderson in her motel room. Anderson’s young daughter and three dogs were also in the room.

Anderson told officers she was in fear for her life, and believed she was being tailed by a white truck, WLBT reported. 

Tindell said based on what he observed on Estorffe’s bodycam, the officers talked with Anderson for about 40 minutes. A portion of the talk was described by Tindell as “pleasant conversation.”

However, the conversation took a dark turn and Anderson wanted to leave, yet the officers were concerned for the child’s welfare.

“During the course of the conversations with Ms. Anderson, the officers became concerned for the safety of her daughter,” said Tindell.

He wouldn’t elaborate on what made them concerned, only saying, “She had made a number of comments that had the officers concerned for the safety of the child.”

A decision was made by the two officers to call Child Protective Services.

Tindell said, “Ms. Anderson was loading up her car and was apparently attempting to leave the hotel. They were trying to keep her there until Child Protective Services could arrive.”

At 4:19 a.m. Anderson was in the vehicle when the fatal shootings took place, Tindell said.

“I heard her tell police that she wanted to leave. The cops told her she couldn’t leave until they had finished their investigation,” a witness at the motel said.

The motel guest then heard the woman scream. Then gunshots. Then only silence.

“It was eerily quiet,” she said.

The woman told the Daily Mail she saw the little girl walking around the SUV and called to her, but the child — whose face, arms, legs and flannel nightgown was covered in blood, hesitated.

“Are you going to hurt me? Momma told me people are trying to kill us,” the girl asked, according to the witness.

Anderson’s former mother-in-law, Sylvia Brogdon, mournfully spoke about her ex-daughter-in-law when reached by the New York Post Saturday.

“Unfortunately she was a very troubled person although we loved her very much,” Sylvia Brogdon said. “She was really sick, more than we even realized, and we couldn’t help her. It was a mental illness issue. But she was a good mother and a good veterinarian. She loved her job and if you could see her children you can see she was a good mother. It’s so terrible when someone is a good person but they do something like this and then all the good is erased and people only see the bad.”

Anderson’s Facebook page is filled with recent happy, smiling photos of herself with her kids and dogs, according to The Post.

“Her kids are with their daddy and stepmother now,” Sylvia said. “They are very close. They are being well taken care of.”


Law Officer article, Dec. 14, 2022

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. – Two Mississippi police officers were shot and killed during a call early Wednesday morning when they responded to Motel 6 on Highway 90 in the town of Bay St. Louis.

The deceased law enforcement personnel have been identified as Sgt. Steven Robin, 34 and Officer Branden Estorffe, 23, according to authorities.

The deadly encounter began about 4:30 a.m. when the Bay St. Louis officers responded to the motel where they encountered a woman with a gun. She was identified as 43-year-old Amy Anderson, WBLT reported.

Anderson was sitting in a parked vehicle along with a minor female when the officers approached and conversed with her. After talking for about 30 minutes, the officers decided to call Child Protection Services. It was at that point that Anderson, still sitting in the vehicle, fired the gun at both officers, striking them, before turning the weapon on herself and taking her own life, according to investigators.

It was not clear if the officers were aware of the firearm prior to the deadly shooting and no mention was made of injury to the minor female.

Sgt. Robin died at the scene. Officer Estorffe was transported to Memorial Hospital in Gulfport in critical condition. However, he was pronounced dead a short time later, according to the news outlet.

Anderson was also pronounced dead at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, investigators said. Additionally, they said one of the officers managed to fire a single round, but they do not believe it struck the woman.

According to a Facebook post, Officer Estorffe graduated from the police academy in November 2021.

“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.”

The Bay St. Louis Police Department plans to hold a news conference Thursday to release more details of the homicides.

A community vigil is being held for the officers Thursday evening at the Bay High Stadium.

“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. “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.”

Officers from several agencies have been at the motel throughout the day. In addition to Bay St. Louis, personal from Waveland, Diamondhead, Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, the Mississippi Highway Patrol and Mississippi Bureau of Investigations have been at the crime scene. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is taking the lead on the case.

The bodies of both officers and the woman were transported to the state crime lab for autopsies, WBLT reported.

Governor Tate Reeves was among those posting condolences for the fallen officers.

“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,” he wrote on Facebook and Twitter Wednesday morning. “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.”


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