NOWCAST 16 WAPT 6am News
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

Attorney says video shows JPD officers using stun gun on man who died in police custody

Keith Murriel died on New Year's Eve
Ross Adams
Investigative Reporter
Attorney says video shows JPD officers using stun gun on man who died in police custody

Keith Murriel died on New Year's Eve

>> WELL, THAT ATTORNEY SAYS KEITH MARIO HAD SO MANY TASER MARKS ON HIS BODY THAT HE COULDN’T COUNT THEM ALL. HE SAYS THE VIDEO THAT WE ARE ABOUT TO SEE DOESN’T TELL THE WHOLE STORY. HE’S NOW CALLING FOR THE POLICE BODY CAM VIDEO TO BE PUBLICLY RELEASED TO PEOPLE THAT KNOW ABOUT THE SEVERITY OF THIS INCIDENT. >> KICKED AND PEOPLE ARE NOW SEEING SNIPPETS OF THIS VIDEO AND THEY’RE THERE IN DISBELIEF. I MADE THE VIDEO RECORDED BY A WITNESS WHO DID NOT WANT TO BE IDENTIFIED. >> APPARENTLY SHOWS JACKSON POLICE OFFICERS TASING KEITH MERRILL ON NEW YEAR’S EVE OUTSIDE THE EXTENDED STAY HOTEL ON BEASLEY ROAD. >> THEY’RE LIKE, WHAT HAPPENED IN MEMPHIS, HAPPENED IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI. AND WHY IS IT THAT WE DON’T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THIS? >> AND RADIO TRAFFIC FROM BROADCAST FILED A POLICE DISPATCHER IS HEARD QUESTIONING THE OFFICER’S ACTIONS. >> OKAY. >> THERE’S A CITIZEN ON THE PHONE SAYING THAT YOU PAGED THAT PERSON AFTER YOU’RE ABOUT 14 TIMES AND HE HASN’T HEARD ANYBODY. IF I AM, ARE. WELL, WE DO WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. THE PHONE CALL FOR THIS VIDEO ON THE SECOND TIGER HAS BEEN CAUGHT. >> ACCORDING TO A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE 41 YEAR OLD MORIAL DIED AFTER EXPERIENCING A MEDICAL EMERGENCY ONCE OFFICERS TOOK HIM INTO CUSTODY. FAMILY ATTORNEY DARRYL WASHINGTON DESCRIBING WHAT HE SAYS HAPPENED IN THE VIDEO. IT WAS SHOW ONE OFFICER WAS WAS GIVING INSTRUCTION TO HER FELLOW OFFICERS TO CONTINUOUSLY TASE KEY TASE A MAN WHO WAS NOT TRYING TO HARM ANYONE. >> TASING THE MAN WHO IS ON THE GROUND WITH THREE OFFICERS ON TOP OF HIM. WHY SHOULD AND SAYS HE HAS A MUCH LONGER VIDEO THAN THIS SHORT CLIP THAT TELLS THE WHOLE STORY. >> YOU WILL SEE THAT THE OFFICER’S PUT SO MUCH PRESSURE ON HIS BACK THAT HIS ENTIRE BODY FOLDED OVER. WASHINGTON ALSO SAYS MARIEL’S FAMILY WANTS THE OFFICERS BODY CAM VIDEO RELEASED IMMEDIATELY. THE SPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE IN THE CITY WHEN THE MAYOR HAS TOLD EVERYONE THAT HE WANTS TO HAVE A CITY THAT’S TRANSPARENT. NOW, HERE ARE THE THREE OFFICERS AT THE CENTER OF THIS. INVESTIGATE AND AVERY WILL AS KENYON MCCARTY AND JAMES LAND, THE AUTHOR, THE ATTORNEY, SAYS THE FAMILY WANTS ALL THREE TERMINATED IT AND CRIMINALLY PROSECUTED. MARIO WILL BE LAID TO REST TOMORROW. HE LEAVES BEHIND TWO CHILDREN. AS FOR THAT VIDEO, THE POLICE CHIEF, THE JACKSON POLICE CHIEF SAYS IT WON’T BE MADE PUBLIC UNTIL MBI HAS COMPLETED ITS INVESTIGATION. TONIGHT, WE’RE LIVE AT JAY PD HEADQUARTERS. RO
Advertisement
Attorney says video shows JPD officers using stun gun on man who died in police custody

Keith Murriel died on New Year's Eve
Ross Adams
Investigative Reporter
An attorney for the family of a man who died in Jackson police custody is speaking out about a video that surfaced that shows officers apparently using a stun gun the man."People didn't know about the severity of this incident with Keith," attorney Daryl K. Washington said. "And people are now seeing snippets of this video and they are in disbelief." The video recorded by a witness who didn't want to be identified, apparently shows Jackson police officers using stun guns on Keith Murriel on New Year's Eve outside the extended stay hotel on Beasley Road. "It will show one officer was giving instruction to her fellow officers to continuously Tase Keith. Tase a man who was not trying to harm anyone. Taser a man who's on the ground with three officers on top of him," Washington said.In radio traffic from Broadcastify, a dispatcher is heard questioning the officers about why they were deploying a Taser Murriel without calling paramedics. According to a news release from the Jackson Police Department, the 41-year-old died after experiencing a medical emergency once officers took him into custody."The officers put so much pressure on his back and his entire body folded over," Washington said. "Just the pressure and the force they were using on Keith was totally unnecessary."Washington said the short video clip doesn't tell the whole story, which is why he wants the officers' body camera video released immediately."We know that if this body cam footage, if it supported the officers' narrative, I can assure you it would have been out the day of the incident," Washington said.Washington said the family wants the three officers, who are currently on paid administrative leave, terminated and criminally prosecuted."You have a mother. You have a father. You have two kids who are suffering, who are in pain, (who) will have to bury their brother and son this weekend," Washington said.Chief James Davis said the body cam video won't be released until the MBI investigation is complete. The Hinds County coroner said the state medical examiner hasn't yet determined a cause of death.
JACKSON, Miss. —

An attorney for the family of a man who died in Jackson police custody is speaking out about a video that surfaced that shows officers apparently using a stun gun the man.

Advertisement

"People didn't know about the severity of this incident with Keith," attorney Daryl K. Washington said. "And people are now seeing snippets of this video and they are in disbelief."

The video recorded by a witness who didn't want to be identified, apparently shows Jackson police officers using stun guns on Keith Murriel on New Year's Eve outside the extended stay hotel on Beasley Road.

"It will show one officer was giving instruction to her fellow officers to continuously Tase Keith. Tase a man who was not trying to harm anyone. Taser a man who's on the ground with three officers on top of him," Washington said.

In radio traffic from Broadcastify, a dispatcher is heard questioning the officers about why they were deploying a Taser Murriel without calling paramedics.

According to a news release from the Jackson Police Department, the 41-year-old died after experiencing a medical emergency once officers took him into custody.

"The officers put so much pressure on his back and his entire body folded over," Washington said. "Just the pressure and the force they were using on Keith was totally unnecessary."

Washington said the short video clip doesn't tell the whole story, which is why he wants the officers' body camera video released immediately.

man dies in jpd custody
Attorney Daryl K. Washington
Keith Murriel

"We know that if this body cam footage, if it supported the officers' narrative, I can assure you it would have been out the day of the incident," Washington said.

Washington said the family wants the three officers, who are currently on paid administrative leave, terminated and criminally prosecuted.

"You have a mother. You have a father. You have two kids who are suffering, who are in pain, (who) will have to bury their brother and son this weekend," Washington said.

Chief James Davis said the body cam video won't be released until the MBI investigation is complete. The Hinds County coroner said the state medical examiner hasn't yet determined a cause of death.