A lawyer representing the Mississippi attorney general’s said that the office couldn’t pursue a case against the officer for manslaughter in a meeting with Ricky Ball’s family. Michael Ward, a lawyer with the Mississippi attorney general’s office, stated that the office could not pursue a manslaughter case against the officer. He also said that the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI), officers and the state medical examiner’s report would have led the jury to believe that Canyon Boykin was justified in shooting Ball in October 2015. The same reasoning is reflected in the June 4 report by the attorney general. Ward said that he spent two weeks investigating the case for Attorney General Lynn Fitch and cast doubts on Boykin’s integrity as an officer. Ward also acknowledged that Boykin and Ball had been involved in “previous run-ins” as well as that there were “racial issues.” Ward stated that “Officer Boykin is not, in my opinion, a star officer.” “This case really troubling.” Ward and a spokesperson from Fitch’s office did not respond to The Appeal’s requests. Elizabeth Ball Cockrell is Ball’s aunt and claims she identified her nephew’s corpse after the shooting. She told The Appeal that Ward wasn’t working for the family’s benefit. She said that she felt like Ward was more about allowing Officer Boykin to leave the country scot-free. Fitch dropped the Manslaughter Charge against Boykin in May. At her request, a local Judge dismissed the case with prejudice. The case can no longer be brought back to the court. Scott Colom (district attorney for the 16th District which includes Columbus) said that “it’s a system issue, our inability have these officer-involved firing cases handled properly.” Some of the files were made public by the attorney general’s bureau. He said Boykin’s indictment “represented the voice the community”. But, “then, you have a dismissal without very little explanation… and there was evidence that supported the charges that wasn’t mentioned in the dismissal.” It’s why there’s so much distrust within our criminal justice system.” Young testified that she saw a Grand Marquis’ license plate light on and Branch followed it, before turning on the lights. Shannon Brewer was driving the Marquis, with Ball sitting on the passenger seat. She didn’t pull over immediately. Branch then explained to investigators how Ball panicked and grabbed her steering wheel, and that he was “dirty.” Boykin called the traffic stop. He said, “We got one failing stop.” Young claimed that Brewer drove over a speed bump and Ball jumped out. Boykin got out of his car and chased after Ball. Young sworn that Boykin followed Ball and handcuffed Brewer. He also hugged and comforted Stanford. Boykin claimed that he called for Ball to stop, then he used his Taser to shoot him to the ground. Boykin approached Ball, whose body he later revealed to MBI investigators. He saw a gun in Ball’s hands and “locked up from his taser”. Boykin claimed that he yelled “gun”, twice more. Boykin said that he did not yell out any command to Ball to drop the gun that he claimed he saw. Boykin said that he dropped his Taser and “transitioned into his firearm.” Boykin said that he felt threatened and that’s why he drew his weapon five days later. I did,–I pointed it at him. “I didn’t fire until he saw–when he turned, that was when I felt the full threat.” Young stated that Boykin ran from Ball in a semicircle, to escape the direct line fire. Boykin later revealed to MBI investigators that Ball ran and got up. Boykin claimed that Ball was running for about 20-25 yards when he noticed him slow down and raise his right hand as if to fire at him. Boykin fired nine shots. One bullet hit Ball in the right hip, and another hit a critical artery on his right arm. Radio traffic recordings show that Branch’s radio call to Brewer about Brewer not stopping and Branch reporting that shots had been fired lasted only 13 seconds. Boykin said to the MBI that Ball jumped into a ditch after he shot him. During the encounter that led up to and during the shooting, none of the officers’ bodies cameras were activated. Boykin only activated his camera after the fatal shooting. The Appeal has obtained bodycam footage that Boykin said to other officers on the scene: “Oh, fuck. “He fucking pulled the trigger on me, dude.” He points to the ground and says, “… “He’s hit badly on the right side.” Officer Christian Benton uses his body camera to capture a person screaming for help. One-tenth mile from the traffic stop officers find Ball lying on his back between two homes, his shirt stained with blood. As they approach Ball, officers shout “show me my hands!” and “get up!” while pointing their guns at him. Officers can be heard saying that they saw a gun next to Ball and pulled his leg away from it. In a statement to investigators later, Officer Garrett Mittan stated that officers pulled Ball from the gun when they realized he wasn’t responding. According to a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives report, the gun found near Ball was the exact weapon Mittan claimed was stolen from his house on August 5, 2015. Ball filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Mittan alleging that he planted the weapon on the spot. In 2018, the city of Columbus settled the case with Ball’s family. The amount was not disclosed. Officers then found “dope” in the cinderblocks at the home where Ball was hiding. An MBI report stated that there was a Taurus 9mm pistol and marijuana. Benton then runs to grab purple gloves and handcuffs Ball as he writhes on a ground. “Stop moving. He says, “I can’t help but to you if your keep moving, quit it.” As he secures the cuffs over Ball’s head, he adds. As EMTs attend to Ball’s injuries, officers stand around Ball’s corpse and shine their flashlights at him. A female EMT attempts to revive Ball using bodycam footage captured inside the ambulance. Before the video cuts off, you can hear someone saying “no pulse”. Ball was declared dead at 11:12 pm by Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle just one hour after the traffic stop. Jeff Reynolds, one Boykin’s lawyers, asked Lisa Funte, then deputy chief medical inspector, about his chances of survival in a civil matter relating to the shooting. Funte responded that it was possible that he might have died even if he received prompt medical attention. According to the lawsuit, Boykin claimed that he was fired unfairly due to “uninformed public pressure.” In 2017, the city reached an unspecified settlement with Boykin. Colom, the district prosecutor, transferred the case the attorney general’s office in July 2016, while Democrat Jim Hood still was in office. In September 2016, a Lowndes County grand juror indicted Boykin. Fitch took over the case after she was elected in January. “Previous run ins” Ward stated to the Ball family in May that he knew Boykin and Ball had had “previous runs-ins” and that they “had a history.” The attorney general’s report does not include statements made by Boykin’s ex-girlfriend and family friend, which suggest that Boykin might have targeted Ball. Aunnaray Leech was a friend of the Ball family and told investigators that Boykin had been aggressive towards Ball in the past. Dominique Cotton, Ball’s ex-girlfriend, said that Boykin had harassed Ball during the weeks leading to the shooting. This was especially after Ball fled Boykin’s traffic stop months earlier. Boykin and Branch tried to pull Ball over on Aug. 26, 2015. He was driving a Hyundai blue with Laura Hines (a white woman and step-cousin of Boykin), in his car. Ball refused to pull over, and instead led Boykin and Branch through Columbus. For several minutes, the officers lost their vehicle. Hines was not found when they finally found her. Boykin was told by Hines that she had been riding alongside Ball. According to body camera footage, Boykin told Branch that they were following Ball’s car and that he was going to snatch it. Branch asked Boykin, “You going to whoop him ass?” Boykin replies, “He was going into jail no matter what,” “No matter what, he was going into jail today. … If i get his fucking hands upon him, fucking mollie, goddamnit motherfucker.” Moolie, an Italian slur, is against Black people. Boykin’s counsel rebuffed the transcription of the audio recording. He claimed that Boykin said “bully” instead and doesn’t know what “moolie”. In August 2017, a local judge ruled that video of the shooting would be admissible in court to “establish defendant’s mental state” during trial. Ball’s family asked Ward questions about the gun police claim they found on the scene of the shooting. Ward responded, “It was taken in August and found there within the cinderblocks.” It was a very strange situation.” A June 2018 deposition by Boykin’s officer for civil cases stated that Ball’s fingerprints weren’t on the gun at the scene and there were discrepancies with the Taser log. He also said that Boykin wasn’t justified in shooting Ball. Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today In 2018, Funte, the deputy chief physician examiner, stated that Ball’s pain may have led him to drop his gun. Funte stated that he would still be able to grasp things. “Pain is going to make you pay attention to the pain. He may lose something he is holding, but it’s possible for him to still hold onto it. It is possible that Boykin may lose his grip on the gun when he gets hit. According to the report by the attorney general’s, Boykin completed the polygraph and was found to be truthful. Ward also stated to Ball’s family that there was “overwhelming evidence” that Funte believed Boykin’s account of events. The attorney general’s office and Boykin did not acknowledge Funte’s clarifications to her original statement. According to Boykin, the report refers to Funte’s February 2017 affidavit. It is evidence that Ball was shot while raising her pistol. The report states that this contradicts social media posts in the case file that claimed Mr. Ball had been shot in the back. Funte filed a declaration with the court one year after her affidavit. She stated that both bullets entered Ball from “back to front”. This refers to posts on YouTube in the aftermath of the shooting. Funte’s reports could not be shared with the family by the attorney because they were part of an investigation by the attorney general. The Appeal was able to obtain the entire autopsy report and photographs of Ball from Lowndes County Courthouse public records. Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today Fitch also based their decision to dismiss the case upon a report by Charles Wetli (a forensic pathologist who was hired as an expert witness). Wetli examined Funte’s autopsy reports and 2017, Boykin’s indictment and photos of Ball’s autopsy. He also reviewed photographs from the scene and concluded that “Mr. Ball was not shot from behind. Wetli reviewed Funte’s autopsy report and 2017 affidavit, Boykin’s indictment, photos of Ball’s autopsy and photos from the scene of the incident. He concluded that “Mr. The American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association and the World Health Organization do not recognize it. Experts believe that the defense of Officer Derek Chauvin, who kneed on George Floyd’s neck from last month to his death, may hinge on the same controversial condition. Floyd’s autopsy has proven otherwise. Ward told the Ball family, “We’re limited to the cards that we have” that the office dropped the indictment against Boykin due to the Weathersby rule, a state Supreme Court precedent which states that if the defendant is the only eyewitness, the jury must believe the defendant’s testimony. This applies even if there is substantial evidence to contradict or rebut their story. Ward stated that the jury would accept Boykin’s account of events unless Ward presented credible evidence to refute it. Ward stated that “we’re limited by what cards we have to win a conviction.” Ward stated, “And we cannot go in hoping that we’re going to get biased juries and throw some darts in the hope of a conviction. Boykin is not exonerated. “I want you to understand that,” Boykin’s defense lawyers used the same argument to try to convince the state to drop his case in January 2019. The motion states that “It should be required (to dismiss this case) not just to end Officer Boykin’s nightmare but also to save taxpayer resources and court time in trying to resolve a case which is unlikely to be successful.” The motion was denied by Boykin’s assistant attorney general Stanley Alexander, who argued against the reliance on Weathersby. “Weathersby should only be used after the state’s case is closed, and only then if the defendant’s version of the crime has not been contradicted.” Alexander wrote in February 2019 that “The argument is simply premature at the moment.” Alexander was fired by Fitch in January. He has since fired other assistant attorneys general of the previous administration. Alexander declined to comment. Protesters demand answers. On June 5, protesters gathered outside Fitch’s Jackson office to demand answers. Mississippi Today reports that a group of 150 protesters shouted “No free kill” as they tried to hand deliver a note to Fitch asking for information about the evidence she considered when dropping Boykin’s charges. According to the Clarion-Ledger, the letter made it to Fitch’s office. In a phone interview with the Appeal on June 1, Colom stated that he regretted transferring the case. “Had i known that [the Attorney General] would dismiss it this way at a time when we’re having an international reckoning, a crisis around African Americans, police brutality…… I wouldn’t have transferred it.” Ball Cockrell was Ricky Ball’s aunt and told The Appeal that she wanted the case to go to trial. Ward’s reasoning for dropping the case didn’t make sense to her. Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today She said that although she is not a lawyer, there were many questions that did not have an answer. Ward made comparisons to the Ball family throughout the audio. Ward stated that he was also
A Christian, Ricky is Ricky’s son, and he knows how hurtful the Ball family is since he lost his best friend three year ago. Angela Ball, Ball’s mother got emotional towards the end of the meeting. Angela Ball, Ball’s mother, said, “Here, I am 52 raising an 7-year old,” about Makayla Hendricks’ daughter. She joined the protests at Fitch’s office. “Ward] stated that Boykin was not exonerated and he stayed awake so many nights worrying about the case… but you don’t tell us why. “I didn’t leave that meeting feeling good.”