Photo: Ian Waldie/Getty Images
A grand jury last week indicted three former Jackson Police Department officers on murder charges. in the death of Keith Murriel, a Mississippi man who died in police custody on December 31, 2022.
Hinds County District Attorney Jody E. Owens, II, announced the charges against former officers Kenya McCarty, Avery Willis and James Land at a press conference on Wednesday.
“All three officers have been charged with manslaughter. The District Attorney’s office would like to recognize the courageous actions of the entire Jackson Police Department. And we don’t believe that the actions of a few represent the bravery of so many,” Owens was quoted as saying.
McCarty and Willis were charged with second-degree murder, while Land was charged with manslaughter.
The city of Jackson released body camera footage of the incident Wednesday that was reviewed by ABC News and they show the officers electrocuting Murriel multiple times while trying to handcuff him. The man can be heard repeatedly urging officers to stop.
Following Murriel’s death, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation launched an investigation into the incident.
Jackson City Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, who urged the office to release the video earlier this year, told reporters that the video is made up of camera footage from various officers, as well as camera footage. from the surrounding area that captured Murriel’s encounter with police.
“We believe we have seen excessive, discouraging and tragic actions,” Lumumba said.
The newly appointed chief of the Jackson Police Department, Joseph Wade, offered his condolences to Murriel’s family during the press conference on Wednesday and vowed to be transparent.
“We at the Jackson Police Department strive to build trust in the community. When we fail, we create mistrust in the community,” Wade said, urging the community to continue to support officers who “put their lives in danger every day.”
“We at JPD will remain transparent and continue to implement accountability measures, not just bottom-up, but top-down as we go forward,” he added.
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