Isaiah Winkley dies in fatal Hancock County, MS police shooting
Isaiah Winkley dies in fatal Hancock County, MS police shooting
Fatal Hancock County, MS police shooting death of Isaiah Winkley – Obituary
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety has released limited body camera footage from the fatal shooting of Isaiah Winkley on December 10, 2022. Winkley, a 21-year-old Florida college student, was shot by former Hancock County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Chase Blackwell. The footage, along with redacted call logs and incident reports, reveals that Winkley was holding a bottle of Mentos candy and a metal T-post when he was shot.
A state grand jury had previously concluded there was not enough evidence to charge Blackwell with any criminal wrongdoing. Federal authorities, however, conducted their own investigation and reached a rare no-prosecution agreement with Blackwell. This agreement requires Blackwell to surrender his law enforcement credentials and prohibits him from ever working in law enforcement or security again.
The footage shows that Winkley, who was nearing graduation in cybersecurity from Pensacola Christian College, did not possess a firearm during the incident. The video includes Blackwell’s declaration of intent to shoot before he opens fire, although he is not visible in the footage at that moment. Despite being tased twice prior to the shooting, Winkley reportedly continued to walk towards the officers while holding the T-post, which he appeared to use for support rather than as a weapon.
Deputy Yagar’s body camera footage was not included in the release, raising questions from the Winkley family’s attorney about why only Blackwell’s footage was made public. The footage reveals that Winkley, who had reportedly experienced a personal epiphany before the shooting, did not present an immediate threat, as confirmed by a judge reviewing the footage.
The Winkley family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department and Blackwell. The lawsuit argues that the use of deadly force was not justified, as Winkley’s actions did not pose a significant threat to the deputies involved.
Isaiah Winkley dies in fatal Hancock County, MS police shooting Fatal Hancock County, MS police shooting death of Isaiah Winkley – Obituary The Mississippi Department of Public Safety has released limited body camera footage from the fatal shooting of Isaiah Winkley on December 10, 2022. Winkley, a 21-year-old Florida college student, was shot by former…
Isaiah Winkley dies in fatal Hancock County, MS police shooting Fatal Hancock County, MS police shooting death of Isaiah Winkley – Obituary The Mississippi Department of Public Safety has released limited body camera footage from the fatal shooting of Isaiah Winkley on December 10, 2022. Winkley, a 21-year-old Florida college student, was shot by former…