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Credit: William P. Butler

May 5, 2009—WAPT and other sources are reporting that Mayor Frank Melton is en route to St. Dominic in an ambulance. May be in cardiac arrest; “unresponsive,” according to scanners and sources.

Update: Sources are telling WAPT that he was in full cardiac arrest when the ambulance arrived and that AMR paramedics had to do CPR to get his heart beating.

Previous Comments

Ledger is now reporting that Precinct 4 commander saying Melton “unresponsive.”


ill be the first to say i dont like melton as mayor but my prayers go out to him and his family, this is sad.


My prayers are with Mr. Melton and his family, also.


I am praying for Melton and his family as well. I can’t quite explain how it feels to me.


It is being reported the Mayor has passed. It is moving through the law enforcement community. Can’t confirm, but seems very credible. Pray for his family.


This is just chatter on radio being picked up. NOT CONFIRMED. Still thoughts and prayers for his family. It appears grim


I know, AGamm. We’re hearing it, too. But it is not confirmed. John Reeves is going to talk at Melton HQ. Maybe he is going to confirm or set record straight?


Prayers for Melton and for his family. Reeves is not divulging anything.


I just got home a few minutes ago, and someone called me and told me about this. So far, WAPT is still reporting that Melton is in the hospital and that his wife in en route. No reports of him passing. I’m sending up a prayer for him. I hope that if he survives, he will use his time out of office to take better care of himself.


I hope Melton is able to pull through this. My prayers go out to him and his family. On a night in which many of us would rather rejoice in his defeat, that’s now been tempered for concerns for his well-being. I hope there’s better news later tonight or in the morning.


Just saw the Twitter…that Melton is moving his limbs is a good sign, but doesn’t mean he’s out of the woods. Let’s keep praying for a recovery.


Golden, I rejoice that Melton was defeated; I’m very sad about his condition. Praying for him. Tim, did you see it when I had Harvey Johnson neck-in-neck with himself!?! Crazy night on mission control. Will fix, though. Thanks. 😉

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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.

Founding Editor Donna Ladd is a writer, journalist and editor from Philadelphia, Miss., a graduate of Mississippi State University and later the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, where she was an alumni award recipient in 2021. She writes about racism/whiteness, poverty, gender, violence, journalism and the criminal justice system. She contributes long-form features and essays to The Guardian when she has time, and was the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Jackson Free Press. She co-founded the statewide nonprofit Mississippi Free Press with Kimberly Griffin in March 2020, and the Mississippi Business Journal named her one of the state's top CEOs in 2024. Read more at donnaladd.com, follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @donnerkay and email her at donna@mississippifreepress.org.