Aderrien Murry, 11, was shot in the chest by a Mississippi police officer after calling 911 for help. His attorney Carlos Moore (right) told Insider the child had a collapsed lung and still has trouble breathing at times. Courtesy Carlos Moore The 11-year-old Mississippi boy who was shot dead by a police officer has comforted his own mother and urged her not to blame herself. Aderrien Murry was shot in the chest last Saturday after calling 911 for help. The Indianola Police Department has placed the officer on paid leave and has not yet released body camera footage.
An 11-year-old Mississippi boy was shot dead by a cop after calling 911 for help – and now that he’s recovering at home, he’s urging his mother to blame the cop and not, according to the family’s attorney oneself.
Aderrien Murry was shot in the chest early Saturday morning shortly after Indianola police officers arrived at his home in response to an 911 call. Murry family attorney Carlos Moore said one of the officers ordered everyone in the house to “come out with your hands up,” but when Aderrien complied, the officer opened fire.
Moore told Insider in an interview that Aderrien remembered the entire incident and began seeking counseling on Friday to help deal with the trauma. Meanwhile, he also assures his own mother that she did nothing wrong.
“He told his mother not to worry. It’s not her fault,” Moore told Insider. “She blamed herself and he’s trying to encourage her not to blame herself. He told us, ‘It’s the cop’s fault – it’s not your fault.’ He did everything he could to protect his mother and ended up getting shot.
Moore said he was outraged by the Indianola Police Department’s handling of the situation. Moore said the officer concerned was placed on paid leave, which he called “paid leave for shooting someone.” Moore added that the Murry family hopes to eventually see the officer charged with aggravated assault.
Police have also refused to release the footage, saying there was an “investigation ongoing,” though Moore noted other law enforcement agencies released body camera footage hours after the shooting.
Moore said he believes the police’s reluctance to release the footage immediately suggests the footage will spark a public outcry. Indianola Police declined to comment to Insider, saying state authorities are still investigating the shooting.
“We know that if it’s in their favor, the body camera footage will be released immediately,” Moore said. “So we think it’s worse than we can imagine.”
Moore told Insiders his company is preparing to file a federal lawsuit next week to get the body camera footage and is hoping to also get footage from a nearby gas station.
Moore also said that Aderrien is recovering slowly and is “getting better by the day”, but he continues to have trouble breathing due to his collapsed lung and often feels like he is choking.
Moore described Aderrien as a “bubbly” kid who had trouble understanding why an officer would shoot him.
“He’s full of personality, an outstanding 11-year-old. He is wise beyond his years,” Moore said. “He has an old soul. It was like talking to a grown man.”
Moore also said that he and other adults tried to explain to Aderrien that trusting law enforcement was still important and that there were many “good cops.” But he said the child may never be completely comfortable around police officers again.
“He’s still very traumatized emotionally and mentally,” Moore said. “He keeps asking what did he do wrong? Why did the officer shoot him? He just can’t understand it.”
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