25 May 2023
INDIANOLA, Miss. (WJTV) – A Mississippi family is demanding justice after a police officer responding to a domestic disturbance call over the weekend allegedly shot an 11-year-old boy in the chest.
On Thursday, protesters gathered at a rally held outside of Indianola City Hall where attorney Carlos Moore called on the city to act in the wake of the shooting that left 11-year-old Aderrien Murry critically injured.
Nakala Murry, the boy’s mother, said Indianola police were called to the house because the boy’s father came over and was acting irate. When he acted this way, she knew something could potentially happen and wanted “to stop it right there.” She said she snuck her phone to her son and asked him to call her mother and the police.
The officer-involved shooting happened around 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 20 at a home on BB King Road, according to Bailey Martin, press secretary for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS).
Murry told CNN that the responding officer she says shot her son had his weapon drawn when he arrived at the residence and asked everyone inside to leave the home. She said Aderrien was walking down a hallway and had just come around a corner into the living room when the officer shot him.
“I cannot grasp why. The same cop that told him to come out of the house.” Murry told CNN. “(Aderrien) did, and he got shot. He kept asking, ‘Why did he shoot me? What did I do wrong?’”
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation confirmed that an officer-involved shooting took place and added that “a minor occupant of the residence received significant injuries and has been transported to a local hospital.” No officers were injured.
“MBI is currently assessing this critical incident and gathering evidence,” the statement continued. “Upon completing the investigation, agents will share their findings with the Attorney General’s Office.”
Moore is calling for the termination of Officer Greg Capers, who he says shot Murry in the chest, and of Chief Ronald Sampson. The attorney is also calling for the release of body camera footage of the incident, which has not been made public by the Indianola Police Department.
“We gave you 48 hours to do the right thing. We told you on Monday evening that if you did not immediately terminate Greg Capers, we would be here,” stated Moore during the rally.
The attorney also requested assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice in the case.
Moore said Murry is recovering from his injury at home.
Agents with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) are investigating the officer-involved shooting. Once their investigation has been completed, they will share their findings with the Attorney General’s Office.