LELAND, Miss.–The Leland Police officer or officers responsible for running over Kadarius Smith, who was 17 when he died the morning of March 22, should be held accountable, maintains attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Smith’s family. Crump says the results of an autopsy show Smith’s head was crushed and that he died from blunt force trauma.
“These autopsy findings document the cruel and tragic way that Kadarius left us – with his head crushed under the immense weight of a police cruiser. This young boy had his whole life ahead of him, a life that his family will now mourn forever<” said Crump Wednesday.
An attorney for the city says the event was an accident.
Contrary to assertions by Crump, the city says there is no body or dash cam video from the morning of the incident.
“The Leland police officers who were involved in Kadarius’s death need to be held accountable for their deadly actions. There is no circumstance where running over another human being with a car to the point of crushing their head is justifiable,” said Crump.
The attorney for the city says police were responding to a call about an assault in progress when Smith was hit.
