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The family’s attorney has filed a $5 million lawsuit against the Mississippi city of Indianola, its police chief and the officer involved in the child’s shooting.
Last month, 11-year-old Aderrien Murry from Mississippi was shot in the chest after calling the police for help. Murry, who has since been released from the hospital, said in a recent interview with CNN that he can see himself laying inside a coffin.
TheGrio’s Eboni K. Williams talked to his family’s attorney, Carlos Moore, who is determined to get justice for Aderrien Murry and the child’s mother, Nakala.
The following is a transcript of the conversation.
Eboni K. Williams: Absolutely devastating words from young Aderrien Murry. The 11-year-old was shot by Mississippi police after he called them to help his mother. In the moments after the shooting, the boy sang a gospel song as he literally fought for his life, and miraculously, thanks to God, he did survive and is now recovering at home.
Still with me to discuss this case is attorney Carlos Moore. He does represent the Murry family. I would have to imagine, based on the fact that I’ve read everything that you shared with our audience, that this officer is going to have a very difficult time laying out the case for any reasonable fear or danger that he was in with this 11-year-old boy.
But I guess, what would be the reaction, counselor, for those that say, well, the innate nature of domestic violence calls, and officer’s work is always going to put that fear on the table. What do you say to that?
Carlos Moore: He had no reason to fear that he would get shot. When the grandmother called the police, she told them there was no weapon present. When Aderrien called the police, he told the dispatcher there was no weapon present. So, it makes no sense whatsoever.
I think that’s why they have gone radio silent. It would be very hard to articulate a justifiable reason for this. There is no reason. They will never have a justifiable reason. He obeyed a command. You should have been expecting him to come around the corner.
Williams: That’s a very good point.
Moore: By the grace of God, he’s alive.
Williams: It is. He is a living testament to that. Now, Attorney Moore, what we know is you mentioned before the break that you are seeking that video footage from the convenience store that should have that. Also, there’s going to be bodycam footage, we imagine, from this officer.
How important are those video pieces of evidence? I think we can all remember, Attorney Moore, it feels like in the last 10 years or so where bodycam footage started really making a difference in the outcomes of these types of officer shootings and cases. How important is this video to your case?
Moore: It’s very important. It will confirm everything that both of my clients, Aderrien and Nakala, have said. What we have told you is the gospel truth, and it’s going to be seared into the conscience to know that someone trained to protect and serve shot an 11-year-old unarmed black boy who had his hands up.
Williams: Yeah, I mean, it just couldn’t really be more striking and simple. And with a victim this young, an 11-year-old, you know, it’s interesting.
I just have to say this before we wrap. I was at a talk last night, and it was a room full of Black men and women and white-presenting Jewish individuals. And we were talking about the fact that young Black boys, Carlos, are seen as cute and adorable up until around 9 to 11, right around this age. And how we’ve got to start naming the fact that there is something in the broader American consciousness.
And as you articulate, this was a Black officer that shot this young boy square in the chest. So this controls for race. When we take innocent little young, precious Black boys, children, and we turn them into villains, and it happens so early in their stage of development… It’s a consequence that can be deadly, and we have to name it, and we have to start doing something about it.
So we thank you for your lawsuit, and we thank you for your work. Attorney Carlos Moore, we appreciate you. Y’all, we will definitely be following this case, so stay tuned for the latest updates.
Check out the full episode above and tune into “theGrio with Eboni K. Williams” at 6 pm ET every weeknight on theGrio cable channel.
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