In a heartbreaking incident that didn’t turn tragic, an 11-year-old boy from Mississippi named Aderrien Murry has spoken out about being shot by a Black police officer inside his own home. The incident occurred after Aderrien called 911 for help, and this is the first time he has shared his perspective.
During an interview with Good Morning America, Aderrien described the gunshot as feeling “like a big punch to the chest” and expressed his belief that he was going to die. The officer involved in the shooting has been identified as Greg Capers by the Indianola Police Department, but no further details have been released. The family’s attorney, Carlos Moore, stated that Capers has been placed on administrative leave by the Indianola Board of Aldermen while the shooting is being investigated.
The Indianola Police Department has not yet responded to requests for comment from PEOPLE magazine. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has confirmed that it is looking into the incident, while Aderrien’s family has called for the officer to be fired and charged. They are also demanding the release of body camera footage of the shooting.
So, what happened?
The shooting occurred on a Saturday morning at Aderrien’s home after he called 911 at the request of his mother, Nakala. She explained that she asked him to make the call when the father of her other child arrived at the house in an agitated state, causing her concern for their safety.
Nakala recounted that when the police arrived, the officer approached the front door with his gun drawn and instructed those inside the house to come outside. It was at this moment, when Aderrien emerged from the hallway into the living room, that he was shot.
Aderrien demonstrated to GMA how the 11-year-old came out of the room with his hands raised above his head, indicating that he posed no threat. Despite this, the officer still fired the shot.
Aderrien described the sensation as feeling like a Taser, a powerful jolt to his chest. He ran outside to his mother, bleeding from his mouth. Nakala expressed her bewilderment, questioning why the same officer who told her son to come out of the house ended up shooting him.
Aderrien repeatedly asked, “Why did he shoot me? What did I do wrong?”
The young boy received medical treatment at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, where he was treated for a collapsed lung, fractured ribs, and a lacerated liver. He required a ventilator and a chest tube. Aderrien was released from the hospital to recover at home, with a bandage visible on the right side of his chest in a photo shared with GMA.
Prior to the shooting, Aderrien aspired to become a police officer, but the traumatic experience has shifted his aspirations. He now hopes to pursue a career in medicine as a doctor.
EXCLUSIVE: 11-year-old Aderrien Murry speaks out after being shot by police following 911 call: "It felt like a Taser, like a big punch to the chest."@DeMarcoReportshttps://t.co/FQ84FZV10o pic.twitter.com/GvTeXGJVdL
— Good Morning America (@GMA) May 30, 2023
