Mississippi officials have revealed more information after three ex-officers reportedly assaulted a Black man with stun guns on New Year’s Eve.
Yesterday (May 24), state capital members released bodycam footage of the encounter between Keith Murriel and then-cops Avery Willis, Kenya McCarty, and James Land.
On Dec. 31, 2022, the former officers tackled Murriel as they attempted to arrest him for reportedly trespassing at a hotel, The Associated Press shared. In the video, the 41-year-old Black man pleaded with officers as they allegedly tased him for over 10 minutes. The footage showed McCarty with her knee on Murriel’s back before he was flipped over.
Once he was handcuffed, the ex-cops placed him horizontally in the back seat of a patrol vehicle. He died after being taken into custody. After the incident, Willis’ bodycam captured him speaking about the encounter with another officer. “I hope [he] is asleep. Because if he’s asleep, it’ll be a good ride,” he said, reportedly using a racial slur. “It was funny seeing [his] feet in the air.”
A city spokesperson later revealed McCarty and Willis are Black, and Land is white. All three former members of law enforcement were placed on administrative leave following the assault. In February 2023, McCarty was fired, followed by Willis and Land in April.
On May 12, a local grand jury indicted McCarty and Willis for second-degree murder and Land with manslaughter. After footage of the incident was released, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba spoke at a news conference. “We believe we have seen actions that are excessive, disheartening, and tragic,” the mayor said. “And we believe that is not representative of the vision of public safety that not only this administration wants to put forward, but we believe the men and women of the Jackson Police Department want to put forward.”