A grand jury in Mississippi decided today, Dec. 14, that there is no probable cause to indict Indianola Police officer Greg Capers on criminal charges in the shooting of Aderrien Murry. The jury returned a “no true bill,” meaning criminal charges cannot be pursued in the case. Capers shot Murry, 11, in the chest in the early morning hours of May 20 after the child called 911 to report a domestic disturbance at his mother’s home.
The news came one day after the Aderrien’s mother Nakala Murry and her lawyer Carlos Moore held a press conference in Grenada, Miss., demanding that the City of Indianola release body-cam footage of the incident to the public. She saw the footage last week, seven months after the shooting. Moore released a statement following the grand-jury decision today.
“Despite this outcome, Attorney Carlos E. Moore asserts that the shooting was not justified and remains committed to pursuing justice on behalf of the Murry family,” Moore said about himself. “Attorney Carlos E. Moore emphasizes that the pursuit of justice does not end with the grand jury decision, and the legal team will continue to exhaust all avenues available to bring transparency and accountability to this case.”
Capers’ attorney Michael Carr said in an interview with the Mississippi Free Press today that he believed the grand jury made the right decision.
“From Officer Capers’ standpoint, we’re glad the grand jury met and followed the law as applied to the evidence that was before them. I believe they reached the right result,” Carr said. While the grand jury declined to pursue criminal charges against the officer, Carr affirmed that the family can still continue to pursue civil action.
‘I Can See Myself Inside the Coffin’
Aderrien Murry called 911 at around 4 a.m. on May 20 on behalf of his mother after her ex-boyfriend showed up irate at their home, the family says. Once officers arrived, Capers ordered everyone inside the home to exit with their hands up. Murry’s family alleges that Capers opened fire as Aderrien complied with the officers’ order to step outside the home, shooting the boy in the chest.
“These have been the most agonizing six months of my life. Watching that footage was nothing that I was prepared for emotionally, but it was something that I had to do,” Nakala Murry said at the Dec. 13 press conference. Despite her outrage, she still feels blessed that her son survived, she said.
“I never want another parent to feel the way I felt on May 20, 2023. It’s time to start holding police officers accountable,” the mother said. Murry’s family filed a $5-million lawsuit against the City of Indianola, Indianola Police Chief Ronald Sampson and five other unnamed officers on May 30. The lawsuit says Capers’ actions caused Murry to suffer a collapsed lung, fractured rib and a grade 1 lacerated liver.
Aderrien Murry said in an interview with CNN on May 31 that he thought he was going to die when the officer shot him and that he was haunted by the violent incident following the shooting.
“Sometimes, I can see myself laying inside the coffin. Them are my thoughts at night—the only ones,” the 11-year-old said. His mother said on Dec. 13 that her child has received counseling and is doing better today with support from friends and family.
Greg Capers said through a statement attorney Michael Carr released on June 14 that the officer “did not mean to shoot the child.” The City of Indianola originally placed Capers on paid administrative leave after the May 20 shooting but later placed him on unpaid leave in June—something Moore said he and the child’s mother fought to have happen.
At the press conference the day before the grand jury’s decision, Moore said his goal was to have the officer terminated. “We’re happy that he’s not being paid any longer by the taxpayers of Indianola, but he needs to be terminated. He never needs to have a badge or a gun again as a member of law enforcement,” Moore said Dec. 13.
Moore said the idea that Capers could return to duty is appalling. “He needs to find a new career. You almost killed my client, and yet you want to have the audacity to request to go back on public payroll? How dare you?” Moore said.
Following the grand-jury decision, Moore said he will not give up his pursuit of justice for the child: “While the grand jury has spoken, we firmly believe that there are unanswered questions and that the shooting of Aderrien Murry was not justified. We are committed to seeking justice for Aderrien and his family, and we will persist in our efforts to ensure accountability through the civil legal process.”
