Key Takeaways
- Newly released body camera footage from the 2024 St. Louis police shooting shows Emeshyon Wilkins running before he was fatally shot.
- The department initially said Wilkins turned and pointed a gun at officers, a claim the video appears to challenge.
- The footage was made public after a federal lawsuit, and prosecutors are reviewing whether charges are warranted.
Newly released body camera footage in the fatal shooting of Emeshyon Wilkins, a Black teenager, is raising serious questions about what really happened that day in St. Louis — and whether the public was misled from the start.
According to the Associated Press, the video shows Wilkins running away from officers before he was shot in the back of the head — a stark contrast to the police department’s original claim that he turned and pointed a gun.
The recording, obtained through a federal lawsuit filed by the boy’s family, captures the moments leading up to the shooting. As reported by AP, officers are seen chasing Wilkins on foot after a stop involving a reportedly stolen SUV. One officer is heard shouting commands, including telling him to drop a weapon. But the video does not appear to show Wilkins holding or pointing a gun. Instead, he continues running. Moments later, the officer fires multiple shots. One of those bullets strikes Wilkins in the back of the head, killing him.
Al Watkins, an attorney for Wilkins’ family, pushed back on how long it took for the footage to become public, telling the outlet, “They fought that video issue for over a year. We had to file a federal lawsuit to get it. That’s not transparent. That’s not integrity. Indeed, it’s irresponsible.”
The lawsuit also states that while a firearm was later found in Wilkins’ pocket, it was not functional. It had been taken apart and could not be fired. “There was no threat to the public, and you look at the video, and there were no furtive movements,” Watkins added.
How St. Louis police originally described the fatal shooting of Emeshyon Wilkins
In June 2024, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department offered a very different account of the incident. In a statement shared on Facebook shortly after the shooting, officials said Wilkins was an “armed suspect” who “turned and pointed a gun at officers,” prompting the officer to open fire. They also stated that multiple individuals fled the vehicle during the incident and that another armed juvenile was taken into custody.
Now, following the video’s release on Monday (April 13), the department acknowledged discrepancies, according to AP. Officials said early information provided to investigators “was not consistent with the actual events or what was initially shared with the community.” They added that reviewing body camera footage earlier could have provided “greater clarity” before releasing details publicly.
Wilkins, who had just turned 17 two weeks before the incident, had no prior criminal history, according to his attorney. His death is now being revisited in the context of a city still grappling with the legacy of past police shootings, including the 2014 killing of Michael Brown.
Meanwhile, the officer involved has been placed on desk duty with pay as the investigation continues, per AP — a decision that has only added to the frustration surrounding the case. “The family needs answers, and the only way answers can be given is if there is justice that is open and transparent,” Watkins said. The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office confirmed it is conducting its own review to determine whether criminal charges are warranted.
As the footage circulates, one thing is clear: the gap between what was first reported and what the clip appears to show is now impossible to ignore.