Two Louisiana police officers–Derrick Stafford and Norris Greenhouse–have been arrested and charged with the murder of a 6-year-old autistic boy and the attempted murder of the boy’s father. Stafford had a previous indictment for aggravated rape.
Jeremy Mardis, only 6 years old, was shot five times in his head and body by the two officers on Tuesday around 9:30 PM. His father, Chris Few, was also shot and remains in critical condition. He has undergone surgery for a gunshot wound to his head. As many as 18 bullets are believed to have been fired by the officers.
#JeremyMardis. Youngest person killed by the police this year. He was 6. Aiyana, pls take care of him. RIP. pic.twitter.com/P9rbC6PT13
— Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) November 7, 2015
At a press conference Thursday, Louisiana State Police Col. Mike Edmonson commented:
“Jeremy didn’t deserve to die like this.”
Edmonson also said he had seen the body camera footage from the scene of the shooting:
“It is the most disturbing thing I’ve seen, and I’ll leave it at that.”
Stafford and Greehouse initially claimed that Few had exchanged gunfire with them, but no weapon has ever been found by investigators.
Officers also asserted that Few was being pursued over warrants. It has since been discovered that Few had no open warrants against him.
The two charged officers also originally claimed that Few repeatedly backed into their vehicle while attempting to flee. That too has been disproven, Colonel Edmonson revealed.
Samantha Few, Mardis’ grandmother, saw the child’s lifeless body when she arrived at the crime scene and told reporters:
“He was diagnosed with autism when he was 2. He loved everyone he met and they loved him. As far as what caused his death, the only thing I have been told is he died from gunshot wounds. He didn’t deserve what happened. He wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
Ms. Few also called her grandson “a special gift from God.”
h/t AddictingInfo
