Body camera video released Monday shows a St. Louis police officer shooting and killing a 17-year-old in the back of the head as he fled, which contradicts… A previous police statement said the teenager pointed a gun at the officers.
Al Watkins, an attorney for the Emicion Wilkins family, obtained the video as part of the discovery process in a federal lawsuit against the police department. Watkins said his office tried and failed to obtain the video through a records request.
“They fought this video case for over a year,” Watkins told the Associated Press. “We had to file a federal lawsuit to get this information. That’s not transparent. That’s not fair. In fact, it’s irresponsible.”
Wilkins was shot and killed in June 2024, just two weeks after he turned 17. Watkins said he had no prior criminal history. Wilkins was black.
Police said it all started when investigators tried to stop an SUV that had been reported stolen. There was a short chase, police said. Watkins described it as a slow-speed chase. He said the SUV was only traveling about 10 mph.
The pursuit ended with Wilkins fleeing the vehicle on foot and being pursued by two officers. One of the officers was carrying a Taser. The last firearm, the suit says.
The video shows the officer, armed with a gun, yelling at the teen to get on the ground while raising the firearm. The officer can be heard telling the teen to drop his gun. The teen continues running, then the officer shoots.
One of the four bullets hit the teen in the back of the head, killing him, the lawsuit says. The teen had a firearm in his pocket, but it was disassembled into several pieces and could not be fired, the suit says.
The video did not show the teen holding the firearm in his hand or pointing it at the officer.
“There was no threat to the public, and I looked at the video, and there were no hidden movements,” Watkins said.
Police acknowledged on Monday, following the video’s release, that “the information provided to investigators by a third party in the immediate aftermath of the incident was not consistent with the actual events or what was initially shared with the community.”
The department said it now sends a member of its body-worn camera unit to such scenes so investigative leaders can review the footage before providing detailed public accounts.
“In this case, a previous review of the body-worn camera footage could have provided greater clarity than was available in the first moments following the incident,” the statement read.
St. Louis still bears the scars from the 2014 fatal shooting by a white police officer of 18-year-old Michael Brown — who was black and unarmed — in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson. Some witnesses said that Brown raised his hands when surrendering. The Ferguson officer was acquitted With wrongdoing and his resignation, Brown’s death led to months of protests.
Watkins said the public is sure there will be change. But he now said the police officer who killed Wilkins had been placed on desk duty, with pay. He wondered why the process was taking so long.
“The family needs answers, and the only way to provide answers is to have an open and transparent justice,” Watkins said.
The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office said it received the police investigation report in October. But the statement says the office is also completing its “review of the evidence and the law to determine whether there is a basis for criminal liability.”
“The CAO is committed to reviewing each matter as expeditiously as possible while ensuring that all available evidence and legal considerations are carefully and carefully evaluated,” the statement read.