Kadarius Smith, a 17-year-old teenager, was walking home with his friends when a police car from Mississippi suddenly sped up behind them and began chasing him, as stated by civil rights lawyer Ben Crump in a press release representing the teenager's family.
Tragically, Kadarius was struck from behind by the police cruiser during the early hours of March 21, leaving tire marks on his back, as reported by Kadarius's mother cited in the release. Kadarius succumbed to his injuries later on.
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Ben Crump expressed outrage, stating, "This tragedy should never have occurred, and those responsible must be held accountable." He described it as unconscionable for an officer to fatally run over a teenager who was trying to flee.
Crump demanded the immediate termination of the unidentified Leland police officer driving the cruiser and urged the release of unedited video footage of the incident to Kadarius's family. He stressed that Kadarius's family deserves answers and accountability for his inhumane death.
Despite the incident, the police officer involved remains employed by the Leland Police Department, confirmed Edward J. Bogen, Jr., the lawyer representing the city of Leland. The officer has been placed on administrative leave pending an independent investigation by the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.
Bogen declined to provide specific facts countering the allegations against the officer, citing the ongoing investigation. He emphasized the need to rely on the independent investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation for an accurate account of the events.
Ben Crump, known for representing families in high-profile cases of police brutality, has taken on Kadarius's case in the pursuit of answers and accountability.
Kadarius's death, which occurred in Leland, Mississippi, near Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, follows a series of high-profile police brutality cases in the state. Recently, six former White law enforcement officers, self-dubbed the "Goon Squad," were sentenced for racially motivated attacks on two Black men in Braxton, Mississippi.
Furthermore, another former police officer in Pearl, Mississippi, pleaded guilty to forcing a detainee to lick up his own urine. The Department of Justice is now investigating the Lexington Police Department in Mississippi for potential violations, including discriminatory policing and excessive use of force.
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