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On January 23, 2018, Savannah-Chatham County police went to the home of 20-year-old Ricky Jerome Boyd. He was a suspect in the murder of  a  24-year-old man on January 21, 2018. According to The New York Post, “Occupants of the home were told to come outside, the GBI said in a news release, and when Boyd emerged, he confronted officers with what looked like a handgun. Boyd was shot several times by officers after he ignored their verbal warnings and raised the weapon, which was later determined to be a ‘BB air gun’ powered by carbon-dioxide, the GBI said. Boyd died later at a hospital.” An officer suffered gunshot wounds but when asked in January “whether Wilson [the officer] was struck by gunfire fired by other law enforcement officers, Bodrey said: ‘It’s still being investigated.'”

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Months later, the body-cam footage hasn’t been released and Ricky’s mother Jameillah Smiley is demanding answers. In an interview with PBS, she revealed she has been the body-cam video and Boyd was surrendering and not engaging in a shoot out, as the police claimed, “He was wiping his eye. And he walked out, presented his arms out, like he was surrendering, turned to his left, and he was immediately shot, falling forward to the ground.” She also said there was no BB gun in his hand.

As for her son being a murder suspect, Smiley said, “The local detectives here also have been back to my home. And, no, they have said that my son — they know my son not — have not committed this murder. So, I don’t know why they have not come forth and cleared my son’s name. But they know my son didn’t commit that murder.” She also added, “He was innocent, he was a good person, and that he didn’t commit any of those things that these officers are saying. He never shot at a cop. He never committed a murder. And my son’s life is taken.” Jameillah is demanding the body-cam footage be released.  Savannah-Chatham County police declined to comment to PBS.

Sadly, this sounds like another case of corrupt police trying to cover their tracks. Considering the history of the blue wall of silence, we are more inclined to believe the mother rather than the cops. The body-cam footage should have been released within weeks. Watch a clip of the interview below:

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