Photo: Getty Images
A Mississippi police officer has been suspended without pay after he shot an 11-year-old Black boy who called authorities for help.
During a board meeting on Monday (June 12), the Indianola Board of Aldermen voted 4-1 to suspend Sgt. Greg Capers following the May 20 shooting of Aderrien Murry, per NBC News.
Aderrien was seriously injured when he was shot in the chest by Capers, who was responding to a domestic call at the home of the boy's mother, Nakala Murry.
Indianola Police were called to the home after the father of another one of Murry's children showed up at the residence "irate" at 4 a.m., according to the mother. Aderrien made the call to police per his mother's instructions.
Murry said Capers arrived at their front door with his gun drawn and asked everyone to step outside of the home. Aderrien was shot in the chest as he was following the officer's orders, the mother said.
“Once [Aderrien] came from around the corner, he got shot,” she previously said. “I cannot grasp why. The same cop that told [us] to come out of the house. [Aderrien] did, and he got shot. He kept asking, ‘Why did he shoot me? What did I do wrong?'”
Following the shooting, Aderrien was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for injuries including a collapsed lung, fractured ribs, and a lacerated liver. He has since been released from the hospital.
Capers was previously put on paid administrative leave and hasn't been charged.
Last month, Aderrien's family filed a $5 million suit in federal court alleging that Capers “failed to assess the situation before displaying and/or discharging his firearm.”
The lawsuit also names the City of Indianola, Mississippi, its police chief, and multiple officers as defendants. “The injuries endured by the defendants could have been avoided if defendants would have acquired the adequate training on how to provide proper assistance and care," the suit states.
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.