A grand jury has decided not to criminally indict a police officer who shot an 11-year-old boy in Indianola, Mississippi, earlier this year.
Aderrien Murry was shot in the chest by local officer Greg Capers, who was responding to a domestic disturbance call at his home on May 20.
According to Murry’s mother, Nakala Murry, she instructed Aderrien to call the police because the father of another one of her children arrived at her home “irate” around 4 a.m. that day. Murry said that when Capers arrived, he already had his gun drawn and asked those inside the house to come out. Other officers were reportedly also beating and kicking on the door.
She said her son was complying with Capers’ orders, but when he walked around the corner of a hallway into the living room, Capers saw movement and fired a shot from the outside of the house, which struck Aderrien in the chest.
The 11-year-old suffered a collapsed lung, fractured ribs, and a lacerated liver as a result. He had to be placed on a ventilator but survived his wounds and was released from the hospital a few days after the shooting.
Aderrien’s mother and the family’s lawyer, Carlos Moore, were allowed to review bodycam footage of the shooting, but a judge sided with the city of Indianola to seal the footage from public view. Moore filed a petition against the sealing.
Capers has been suspended from the force without pay while the department conducts a full investigation into the shooting.
The family filed a federal lawsuit a few weeks after the shooting, demanding a trial and millions of dollars in damages. They argued that Indianola police chief Ronald Sampson and Officer Greg Capers “breached their duty to monitor, care for, and provide necessary safety to all civilians by deliberately shooting an unarmed 11-year-old.”
The complaint also notes inaction on the part of the Indianola Police Department to penalize Capers following other “numerous complaints” connected to “incidents of abuse” and “excessive force.”
“While the grand jury has spoken, we firmly believe that there are unanswered questions and that the shooting of Aderrien Murry was not justified,” Moore said of the grand jury decision. “We are committed to seeking justice for Aderrien and his family, and we will persist in our efforts to ensure accountability through the civil legal process.”
Michael Carr, Capers’ attorney, says Capers feels the grand jury made the right decision.
“Sgt. Capers is relieved at the result, and he is glad that the citizens of Sunflower County reached the fair and correct result,” Carr said. “He is looking forward to continuing to serve the citizens of Sunflower County and the city of Indianola.”
The family plans to file a second lawsuit next month in Sunflower County Circuit Court.
