Family of MS teen allegedly 'run over,' 'killed' by Leland police demands release of video

LELAND, Miss. — The family of a 17-year-old, who was allegedly run over by a Leland patrol car and later died at a hospital, called for the release of police camera footage from the incident during a Tuesday press conference.

"On March 21, 2024, my son, Kadarius Smith, was killed by the Leland Police Department," Smith's mother Kaychia Calvert said. "I often think about that night, and I wonder was my baby scared as he was running for his life? Did he think about me, about his dad, about his grandma as they chased him down?"

Smith died in the early morning hours of March 21 when he was walking home with friends, according to civil rights attorney Ben Crump. The patrol cruiser chased Smith based on witness statements, Crump said.

Calvert said Kadarius was run over from behind, leaving "police cruiser tire marks on his back."

Calvert, who did not witness the incident, said a nurse told her 24-year-old daughter about the tire marks.

Smith later died at a hospital.

Smith's family is demanding that the Leland Police Department release the unedited dashcam footage from the interaction and fire the officer who was driving the police cruiser.

"When Kadarius was killed on that night — we don't have all of the answers but — we know that he was running from the police (and) that he committed no crime that nobody has been able to speak of," Crump said. "He was inexplicably run over by the police officer.

"All we want is equal justice. Nothing more or nothing less. It starts with the video."

The Clarion Ledger called the Leland Police Department, which referred all questions to Josh Bogen, an attorney for the city. According to Bogen, there is no footage of the incident.

There is no dashcam footage, and the officer was not wearing a body cam, Bogen said.

It's not clear what the Leland Police Department policy is on dash cam or body cam footage.

Bogen told the Clarion Ledger that majority of the information Crump is disclosing to the public is "completely inaccurate." Bogen said the narrative that the officer intended to cause harm to the 17-year-old is "absolutely false."

Bogan said the officer involved is still on the force but has been on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.

Bogan said the unidentified officer has been on administrative leave since the March 21 incident.

A glimpse into Kadarius Smith

"Kadarius was such a fun, loving and kind young boy. He was full of energy," Calvert said.

Smith attended Leland High School where he was classified as a junior.

Smith's family said he loved to travel and was actively involved on the high school football and basketball teams. His favorite sport was basketball, family members said. Smith also loved listening to music, dancing and rapping.

Gloria Jordan, Smith's godmother, said justice will be served for her godson who will be "17 years old forever."

"This hurts my heart," Jordan said. "I'm asking for justice. I'm asking for justice to be served. I'm asking for accountability. His name matters."

Patrick Smith, Kadarius' father, said he will never be able to see his son "walk across the stage" for graduation because of this incident.

"You don't pit maneuver humans," Patrick said. "You pit maneuver vehicles."

Damarkus Loyd, Kadarius' uncle, said the 17-year-old enjoyed life — "the very thing that was taken away from him."

"Police reform needs to be something that the world takes seriously because of all the people that have been taken away from their families and now from us," Loyd said. "We never imagined this. We never seen this coming. We woke up at 3 o'clock in the morning, thinking the phone call was about something else but here we are."

This incident adds to a series of recent cases in Mississippi surrounding police conduct.

More on Crump in MS: Attorney Ben Crump representing families of 3 men buried in a pauper's grave. What they said

Early April, six former law enforcement officers involved with the “Goon Squad” were sentenced in state court for their participation in abusing and torturing two Black men.

In March, a former Pearl police officer pleaded guilty to forcing a detainee to lick his own urine off the floor of a holding cell.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Family of MS teen allegedly run over, killed by police, wants camera footage