Commissioner: Footage of deadly JPD encounter to be released after investigation

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - An investigation is underway after a man died while in the custody of three Jackson police officers.

The man has been identified as 41-year-old Keith Murriel.

For weeks now, people have been asking for the body cam footage of the incident to be released.

Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba has sent in a request to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation asking for the footage to be made public.

However, Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell said MBI’s policy states that the department can’t release the footage until after the investigation is complete.

At this time, Tindell said he couldn’t give us a timeline on when that will be.

“We’re not going to allow the demands of expediency to negate the quality of the investigation that’s going to be done,” said Tindell. “The reality is when you release that type of information too early, I think one, it could jeopardize the investigation and prevent those from wanting to come forward, from coming forward. We’ve had somebody come out just a couple of weeks ago wanting to provide information. That’s one of the reasons why we want to keep the information in. I think it’s best not to piecemeal and release information. We want to paint the entire picture when we do, and the best time to do that is once a grand jury has looked at it and once the investigation has been completed.”

We’ve obtained a video from an individual who didn’t want to be identified, showing some of the 41-year-old’s final moments on New Year’s Eve.

One officer has been fired; two others have been placed on paid administrative leave following the deadly incident.

Tuesday marks six weeks since Jackson police Chief James Davis released a controversial statement saying Murriel died due to a medical emergency.

However, the attorney representing Murriel’s family, Darryl Washington, said that’s not true.

In fact, Mayor Lumumba also expressed that he disagrees with Chief Davis’ words based on the information he’s received.

MBI is the lead agency in this investigation.

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