Family demands justice for 11-year-old boy shot by police officer he had called for help

Aderrien Murry, an 11-year-old boy from Indianola, Mississippi, was shot in the chest by a police officer who responded to a 911 call from his home on May 20, 2023.

The boy had called for help after a domestic dispute between his mother and her boyfriend turned violent. According to his lawyer Carlos Moore, the officer fired his weapon without warning or identifying himself, hitting Aderrien in the chest and causing serious injuries. Aderrien spent five days in the hospital with a collapsed lung, lacerated liver, and fractured ribs before being released on May 25.

Family’s call for action

Aderrien’s family and lawyer have demanded that the officer who shot him be fired and charged with attempted murder. They have also called for the release of the police bodycam footage and the 911 recording to shed light on what happened that night.

Moore said that Aderrien was unarmed and posed no threat to the officer and that the shooting was unjustified and excessive. He also said that Aderrien suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and nightmares after the incident and that he asks “Why did he shoot me?”.

Police investigation

The Indianola Police Department has not identified the officer involved in the shooting but said that he has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI).

The MBI said that it is conducting a thorough and impartial investigation into the shooting and that it will present its findings to the district attorney’s office for review. The MBI also said that it will not release any information or evidence until the investigation is complete.