Shooting of Aderrien Murry

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Aderrien Murry, an unarmed 11-year-old African American boy, was shot in the chest in Indianola, Mississippi, by an Indianola Police Department officer on May 20, 2023, after police responded to Murry's 9-1-1 call for help at his home. [1] [2] [3] Murry survived the shooting with a collapsed lung, a lacerated liver, and fractured ribs. [2] The involved officer was suspended, but later reinstated after a grand jury in December 2023 decided not to charge the officer with a crime. [4] [5]

Contents

Statements by Murry and representatives

Murry's mother stated that during the incident at 4 a.m., a man, who had fathered another child with her, came to her home in a very angry mood, so she directed Murry to call the police. One officer arrived at the front door of her home with his gun drawn, calling for people inside the home to come out of the home. The officer shot Murry when Murry was coming from around the corner of a hallway to enter the living room. [6] Murry's mother also said that the officer who shot Murry later helped her render aid to Murry until medics came to the scene. [7] The Murry family's lawyer said that Murry was unarmed at the time of the shooting. [8] Murry said that he prayed and sang in order to survive. [9]

The Murry family's lawyer said that the officer "could not have been confused" between Murry and the man Murry contacted the police about since Murry's height was about 4 feet 10 inches (1.47 m), and the man is over 6 feet (1.8 m) tall. [2] Murry's family have called for police body camera footage to be released, and also called for the officer to be terminated from his position and charged with aggravated assault. [10] [11] [12]

Official response

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting, stated that officers were responding to a domestic disturbance call. [13] The officer involved was initially placed on paid administrative leave following the shooting while the incident was under investigation, but later city officials suspended him without pay on June 15. [14] The officer's attorney has stated that the shooting was "unintentional". [14]

A Sunflower County grand jury in December 2023 declined to file criminal charges against the involved officer for shooting Murry, indicated the Mississippi Attorney General's office. [4] Later that month, the involved officer was reinstated back into the force. [5] In January 2024, the Mississippi government published a video of the shooting taken by a body camera. [15]

Media outlets reported in April 2024 that Sunflower Prosecutor Gwendolyn Jimison sought to revoke custody of Aderrien Murry and his siblings from his mother, citing an unnamed witness saying that the shooting of Aderrien was the "result of the mother and boyfriend domestic violence that have been happening for years". [16] [17]

Lawsuit

Within two weeks of the shooting, Murry and his mother initiated a lawsuit in federal court against the officer, the city of Indianola, its police chief, and five unnamed police officers; the lawsuit alleged "negligence and excessive force" and requested $5 million in compensation. [18] [19] The Indianola mayor has responded that Indianola "doesn't have $5 million in the bank". [14]

The federal lawsuit was dismissed in July 2024 by Judge Debra Brown due to the lawsuit failing to utilize the Mississippi Tort Claims Act to argue a constitutional violation, but Murry was allowed to change the terms of the lawsuit. [20]

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References

  1. ↑ Cliffrod, Tyler; Perry, Michael (May 26, 2023). "Mississippi family seeks charges after officer shoots 11-year-old boy". Reuters. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Valencia, Nick; Sayers, Devon (May 25, 2023). "Attorney for 11-year-old Mississippi boy shot by police says there's 'no way' he could have been mistaken for an adult". CNN. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  3. ↑ Planas, Antonio; Pipia, Lindsey (May 25, 2023). "Investigation launched after 11-year-old who called 911 for help is shot by officer in Mississippi". NBC News. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Franklin, Jonathan (December 14, 2023). "No charges filed after police shot an 11-year-old who called for help, officials say". NPR . Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Valencia, Nick; Spells, Alta (December 22, 2023). "Mississippi police officer who shot 11-year-old boy in his home while responding to a 911 call reinstated after suspension". CNN . Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  6. ↑ Valencia, Nick; Sayers, Devon (May 25, 2023). "11-year-old Mississippi boy who was shot by responding police officer after calling 911 is released from the hospital". CNN. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  7. ↑ Drenon, Brandon (May 25, 2023). "Aderrien Murry: Mississippi boy, 11, shot by officer after calling police". BBC News. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  8. ↑ Bella, Timothy (May 26, 2023). "Unarmed 11-year-old boy shot by US police after calling them for help". Stuff . Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  9. ↑ Valencia, Nick; Maxouris, Christina; Sayers, Devon (May 30, 2023). "11-year-old boy shot in the chest by Mississippi police after calling 911 for help says he prayed and sang to stay alive". CNN. Archived from the original on June 13, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  10. ↑ Tabachnick, Kara (May 25, 2023). "Family of 11-year-old Mississippi boy shot by police officer calls for release of bodycam footage". CBS News. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Mississippi family seeks charges after policeman shoots boy, 11". Al Jazeera. May 26, 2023. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  12. ↑ Bella, Timothy (May 26, 2023). "A Black 11-year-old called 911. Police arrived and shot him, his mom says". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  13. ↑ Shapiro, Emily (May 26, 2023). "Mom demands answers after 11-year-old son allegedly shot by police officer at home". ABC News. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 Valencia, Nick (June 13, 2023). "Mississippi officer who shot 11-year-old is suspended without pay". CNN. Archived from the original on June 13, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Mississippi authorities release footage of shooting of 11-year-old boy". Reuters . January 8, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  16. ↑ Binion, Billy (April 5, 2024). "A Cop Shot Her 11-Year-Old Son. Now She Might Lose Custody of Her Kids". Reason . Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  17. ↑ Franklin, Jonathan (April 5, 2024). "Police shot Nakala Murry's young son. Now, she could lose custody of her kids". NPR . Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  18. ↑ Tabachnick, Cara (May 30, 2023). "Family of 11-year-old Mississippi boy shot by police sues for $5 million". CBS News. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  19. ↑ Zaru, Deena; Ghebremedhin, Sabina (May 31, 2023). "Boy speaks out after being shot by police; suit says he was shot without warning". Good Morning America . Archived from the original on June 1, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  20. ↑ Gallant, Jacob (July 31, 2024). "Judge dismisses lawsuit over 11-year-old shot by Miss. police officer". WMC-TV . Retrieved November 11, 2024.
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