BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRICAN AMERICAN " SILAS (ERNEST) CASTON " WAS SHOT IN THE STOMACH BY HINDS COUNTY SHERIFF HERBERT HOOVER SULLIVAN : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK HEROES "

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Silas (“Ernest”) Caston

Background

On March 1, 1964 Silas Caston was shot in the stomach by Hinds County Deputy Sheriff Herbert Hoover Sullivan, at the Sunset Inn. At the time of his death, Caston was living in Jackson. New reports indicate that the deputies were responding to a “shots fired” call. The owner of a Negro café was reported to have made the call. As the deputies were investigating the call near the café, two teenagers were seen fleeing the area on foot, and Caston ran into the Sunset Inn. Hoover chased Caston, who raised his hands to surrender and turned to face Hoover, who then shot him in the stomach. Sheriff Fred Picket claimed Hoover had no way of knowing whether Caston was armed.

Legal Status

Caston’s murder was the subject of an FBI investigation after the case was added to the Emmett Till Cold Case Act list. The Bureau closed the case in 2012 and informed the family of the results of the investigation.