Mississippi jury indicts 3 former officers in death of black man seen on video shocking him with stun gun

by the associated press: A Mississippi grand jury has indicted two former police officers on charges of murder and another former officer on charges of manslaughter in the death of a black man who can be seen in the video and New Year’s Eve During his arrest, he was repeatedly shocked with a stun gun.

Authorities release body camera footage in state capital Jackson On Wednesday, then-officers Avery Willis, Kenya McCarty and James Land were shown struggling to handcuff Keith Murrill as he apparently choked several times over 10 minutes.

Authorities arrested Muriel for allegedly breaking into a hotel shortly before midnight on December 31, 2022, officials said.

McCarthy and Willis have been charged with second-degree murder, and land with murder, court records show. All three were sent on administrative leave after the incident. McCarty was fired in February, and Willis and Land in April.

According to city spokeswoman Melissa Faith Payne, McCarty and Willis are black, and Land is white. Payne said he did not know as of Wednesday whether any of the officers had attorneys who could comment on them.

The video shows McCarty kneeling on Murriel’s back before Murriel turns around, and the three officers attempt to lock her hands behind her back. The 41-year-old man is seen pleading with the officers to stop using the stun gun.

The video shows Muriel being handcuffed and the officers lying horizontally in the back seat of a patrol vehicle. He died after being taken into custody.

Body camera footage of Willis shows him talking to another officer after the encounter.

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“I hope (he’s) asleep. Because if he’s asleep, it’s been a good ride,” Willis said, using a racial slur to refer to Muriel. “It was weird seeing (his) feet in the air.”

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said at a Wednesday news conference that the city is now releasing body camera footage as the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation’s investigation into the death is complete. The officers — all former members of the Jackson Police Department, or JPD — were indicted on May 12.

“We recognize that we have witnessed actions that are excessive, disappointing and tragic,” Lumumba said. “And we believe that it is not representative of the vision of public safety that not only does this administration want to put forward, but we believe the men and women of JPD want to put forward.”

The city released the footage less than a week after former Jackson chief James Davis announced his retirement. After Muriel’s death, Davis initially stated that the man had a “medical emergency”. Lumumba said that Davis’ departure had nothing to do with the incident.

Acting Police Chief Joseph Wade pledged transparency in speaking to reporters in Wednesday’s appearance.

“I would ask the citizens of Jackson to continue to support the dedicated, hardworking men and women of the Jackson Police Department who risk their lives every day,” he added. “We will continue to take accountability measures not only from the bottom up but also from the top down.”