The public safety commissioner in Jackson, Mississippi is facing pushback for refusing to release body camera video of an officer-involved death.
Commissioner Tindell spoke at a crime summit in West Jackson on Tuesday night, where he explained that the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) is understaffed and struggling to keep up with investigations.
Since a recent state law change made it mandatory for the MBI to investigate all cases where people are injured or killed by police, their workload has doubled to 40 cases per year, but they do not have the necessary manpower to complete them in a timely manner.
Despite pressure from the mayor and the public to release the video in the case of Keith Murriel’s death, the commissioner has refused, citing concerns that it could harm the investigation and discourage witnesses from coming forward.
The commissioner stated that the department will handle matters consistently and that they are trying to hire additional agents to help with investigations.
