JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – A lawsuit has been filed against four current and former Jackson police officers in connection to the death of 41-year-old Keith Murriel.
Murriel died on December 31, 2022. Investigators said officers responded to a call for service at 572 E. Beasley Road around 7:30 p.m. While at the location, officers took Murriel into custody. They said he experienced a medical emergency and died at the scene.
However, the family said Murriel was critically injured and died after being physically assaulted by the officers. They hired Daryl K. Washington, a civil rights attorney, to represent them.
Washington and Attorney Carlos Tanner, III, announced the lawsuit was filed against Avery Willis, Kenya McCarty, James Land and Cazinova Reed in connection to Murriel’s death.
McCarty was later fired from the department. Willis and Land were placed on administrative leave in early January 2023.
The attorneys for the family said the family has never been contacted by Jackson Police Chief James Davis or Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba to discuss the outcome of the investigation. They said the department has yet to release body camera footage or any other surveillance footage of the incident.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell told WJTV 12 News in February that the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) would not release the body camera video at this time.
Lumumba sent a letter to Tindell asking for the release of the body camera video. Tindell said the footage will not be released until the investigation is done.
An independent autopsy conducted by a highly regarded medical examiner we retained found that Keith died due to the officers’ restraint, multiple conductive energy device discharges and positional asphyxia. Officers Willis, McCarty and Land tased Keith over 80 times, forcefully kneed him in the back causing his face to almost touch his legs – all while Keith pleaded for them to “please stop.” After viciously assaulting and repeatedly tasing Keith until he was unconscious, the officers handcuffed Keith and placed him in a prone position in the backseat of a police cruiser and left him unattended for approximately one hour. Despite being aware that Keith was nonresponsive and required medical attention, Officers Willis, McCarty, Land, and Cazinova, who was made aware of Keith’s condition once he arrived on the scene, failed to assist Keith. Keith was left to die in the backseat of a police cruiser by four officers who took an oath to serve and protect. They betrayed their badges and the code of ethics and should be held accountable for their actions. Failing to hold police officers accountable does not provide for a properly functioning police department and sends a horrible message to the community.
Attorney Daryl K. Washington