A Mississippi grand jury has indicted two former police officers on murder charges and another ex-officer on a manslaughter charge in the death of a Black man seen on video being pinned down and repeatedly shocked with stun guns during a New Year\u2019s eve arrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Officials in the state capital of Jackson released body camera footage Wednesday that showed then-officers Avery Willis, Kenya McCarty and James Land struggling to handcuff Keith Murriel as he was apparently stunned numerous times over 10 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The officers had tackled Murriel while arresting him for allegedly trespassing at a hotel shortly before midnight on Dec. 31, 2022, authorities said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McCarty and Willis have been charged with second-degree murder, and Land with manslaughter, court records showed. All three were placed on administrative leave after the incident. McCarty was fired in February, and Willis and Land in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McCarty and Willis are Black, and Land is white, according to Melissa Faith Payne, a city spokesperson. Payne said she did not know whether any of the officers had attorneys as of Wednesday who could comment for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The video shows McCarty kneeling with her knee on Murriel\u2019s back before Murriel flips around, and the three officers attempt to lock his hands behind his back. The 41-year-old man is seen pleading with officers to stop shocking him with stun guns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After handcuffing Murriel, officers then laid the man horizontally on the back seat of a patrol vehicle, the video showed. He died after being taken into custody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Willis\u2019 body camera footage showed him talking to another officer after the encounter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI hope (he) is asleep. Because if he\u2019s asleep, it\u2019ll be a good ride,\u201d Willis said, using a racial slur to refer to Murriel. \u201cIt was funny seeing (his) feet in the air.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said at Wednesday\u2019s news conference that the city was now releasing body camera footage because a Mississippi Bureau of Investigation probe of the death had been completed. The officers \u2014 all ex-members of the Jackson Police Department, or JPD \u2014 were indicted on May 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe believe we have seen actions that are excessive, disheartening and tragic,\u201d Lumumba said. \u201dAnd we believe that is not representative of the vision of public safety that not only this administration wants to put forward, but we believe the men and women of JPD want to put forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n