The family of an 11-year-old Indianola boy who was shot by a police officer is calling for action to be taken against those responsible for the child’s injuries.
According to attorney Carlos Moore, who is representing Aderrien Murry, the 11-year-old was shot by Sgt. Greg Capers with the Indianola Police Department despite being unarmed and obeying commands with his hands in the air.
On Saturday, May 20, Nakala Murry, Aderrien’s mother, asked her son to call the police around 4:00 a.m. because the father of one of her other children showed up at her home unannounced.
Moore explained to SuperTalk Mississippi News that, upon arrival, Capers tried to kick in the door of the home before Nakala opened it and proceeded to explain that the unarmed intruder had exited the back of the property.
Capers and another officer — with guns drawn — then ordered all occupants to come out of the house with their hands raised in the air. As Aderrien rounded a corner into the living room, he was shot by Capers, per Moore.
“He was shot by Greg Capers for simply following orders,” Moore said. “There is no justification. There will never be a justification. I don’t care if they try to prepare a statement or come up with an excuse. This is inexplicable. It will never be justified. It’s senseless.”
Fortunately, the 11-year-old survived the shooting, though he was hospitalized for five days due to a collapsed lung, lacerated liver, and fractured ribs.
The child’s family is now calling for the termination of Capers — as well as Indianola Police Chief Ronald Sampson — from their positions. In addition, Moore says the family is hopeful Capers will experience time behind bars for aggravated assault. If convicted, the officer could face up to 60 years in prison.
“This guy is clearly bad with a gun. He’s a danger to society. He has to go,” Moore continued. “This was aggravated assault. It was not a justified shooting. He needs to be prosecuted. I want him indicted. The family wants him indicted. We want him tried before a jury of his peers for the crime he committed.”
The Murry family is also seeking $5 million in restitution from the city for Aderrien’s injuries, though Moore notes that no monetary gains will make up for the trauma the child has from the incident.
Moore says neither he nor the Murry family has heard a thing from the Indianola Police Department or the city’s mayor, which he calls an “insult to injury.” As for Aderrien, the attorney says that the 11-year-old feels blessed to be alive and is undergoing counseling to work through the emotional damage induced by the shooting.
Moore added that Aderrien wanted to be a police officer prior to the event, but now has aspirations to pursue a career as a doctor courtesy of the efforts physicians put into saving his life.
