Activists Say New Video Confirms Jaheim McMillan Complied with Police Before Being Fatally Shot 

On October 6, Gulfport police responded to an emergency call about several individuals brandishing a firearm inside a Kia Soul. Upon arrival,  Mississippi officers said two of the five occupants dispersed and tried to flee the scene.

As 15-year-old Jaheim McMillian attempted to flee, Gulfport Police Chief Adam Cooper said the officer told the teen to stop, but he refused and instead turned a gun on the officer. Cooper said McMillian was then told to drop the weapon, but when he refused, the officer opened fire. The teen was struck in the head and died two days later after being taken off life support. According to SunHearld, two of the teens were arrested at the scene with guns, while the others that fled were tracked down and caught.

In response to the fatal shooting, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation launched an investigation into the incident, and an internal investigation was also launched to ensure procedure was followed. But now, just weeks after the fatal incident, loved ones of McMillan are demanding answers, as they believe the 15-year-old was wrongfully shot.

On Monday, the family, alongside the Black Lives Matter organization and other community activists, revealed that they’d obtained nearby surveillance footage that showed the high school freshman running and then complying with the officer before being shot. According to advocates, McMillan’s hands were in the air when he was shot. The footage has not yet been released to the public, but the family says they will do so soon.

“Jaheim was running for his life. He was scared. He was running because the officer jumped out with the gun already pointed at him. The officer started chasing him down and firing his weapon at the same time,” explained Florida Pastor Carl Soto of Black Lives Matter Restoration Polk and Families United for Justice, according to the publication.

“It clearly shows [McMillan] took three-and-a-half steps from that [Kia Soul], three-and-a-half steps to a death sentence,” said Jacob Blake Sr., whose son was shot by a Wisconsin police officer in 2020.

“That officer came out that police vehicle with a plan on his mind to murder,” Andrew Joseph II, father of a 14-year-old who was killed in 2014 due to police negligence, said. “And we don’t need the (bodycam) tape. We’ve seen the (surveillance) tape. Our eyes are not lying to us.”

For now, activists are calling on authorities to release their bodycam footage showing the deadly encounter. They are also demanding that the officer be fired and charged with murder. Mississippi Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell said he would make the officer’s bodycam footage available only after the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation completes its probe.

The other teenagers involved in the incident were arrested and charged with aggravated assault. The responding officers, including the one that murdered McMillan, are on non-enforcement duty.