The Moss Point police chief says safety concerns led him to withhold the name the officer who shot a man last month who claimed to be a member of the Aryan Brotherhood.

Frederick Gaston said he made the decision following reports that members of the white-supremacist group were trying to find out the officer’s identity.

The officer shot Lee Green, 39, twice in the chest after Green allegedly rammed the officer’s car and tried to run him over during a March 19 pursuit.

“The safety of the officer is paramount,” Gaston said. “And I will weigh the public’s need to know against the safety of my officers every time. Eventually, that information will become public. We are not going to keep it a secret.”

Gaston said Green claimed he was a member of the Aryan Brotherhood when questioned by investigators about his swastika tattoos.

The chase started when the officer tried to stop Green for speeding. Green allegedly tried to run a patrol car off the road and later rammed the side of a patrol car before being stopped, officers said.

Gaston said the officer shot Green after he backed up and tried to run the officer down.

The officer remains on administrative leave with pay while an independent investigation continues.

Green, of Pascagoula, is in the Moss Point jail. He’s charged with one count each of felony pursuit and aggravated assault on a police officer.

“If it’s true these guys are looking for him, then our police officer would be in danger,” Gaston said. “Everybody already knows where to find him because he works at the police department.”