St. Louis police initially claimed they shot and killed a Black teen named Emeshyon Wilkins in 2024 while chasing him on foot because the 17‑year‑old boy turned and pointed a gun at them, making them fear for their lives.
But body camera footage released Monday shows the teen never turned around and never had a gun in his hand when he was shot in the back of the head. If anything, it appears he may have been holding a phone in his hand.
The only weapon on him was a disassembled gun in his pocket that was incapable of firing shots, according to a lawsuit filed by the boy’s parents in January.
Nevertheless, St. Louis police posted the disassembled gun on their Facebook page two days after the shooting, claiming it was used to threaten the officer who killed him – insinuating they were the ones who disassembled the gun.
“During a foot pursuit, an armed suspect turned and pointed a gun at officers when the detective shot the armed suspect,” St. Louis police said in the Facebook description, adding that the “incident remains under investigation.”
They then spent the next 18 months refusing to release the body camera footage to Wilkins’ parents through public‑records requests, which usually indicates a cover‑up.
“They fought that video issue for over a year,” Al Watkins, the attorney representing Wilkins’ parents, told The Associated Press.
“We had to file a federal lawsuit to get it. That’s not transparent. That’s not integrity. Indeed, it’s irresponsible.”
Watch the video below.
The Shooting
The shooting took place on June 18, 2024, after police attempted to pull over a Mazda CX‑5 that had been reported stolen, prompting a short, slow‑speed pursuit, according to Watkins, who said the Mazda never exceeded 10 mph before it came to a stop.
Inside the Mazda were Wilkins and another teenager, who both jumped out of the car and ran in different directions.
The body camera footage shows St. Louis police officer Brett Carlson chasing Wilkins, yelling at him to “drop the f_cking gun” before he opens fire four times, striking the teen once in the back of the head and killing him instantly.
The video then shows Carlson handcuffing the teen’s hands behind his back, then yelling, “F_ck,” apparently realizing Wilkins was holding a phone. A black object can be seen on the ground that resembles a phone, not a gun.
“The gun’s right f_cking here,” Carlson then says, but no gun appears on the video, and it appears he is claiming the gun is underneath Wilkins.
Carlson then uses a knife to cut off the teen’s backpack, telling the other cops there was a gun underneath the teen, but he then walks off. The alleged gun never appears on the video.
“E.W. was not armed with [a] functional weapon, was actively fleeing on foot, and posed no threat of death or serious physical injury to either Defendant Brett Carlson or the public,” the claim states.
“Upon information and belief, E.W. had a disassembled firearm, which was comprised of multiple pieces and incapable of being discharged, located in E.W.’s front right pocket at the time of E.W.’s death.”
The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office said it is conducting an investigation after receiving the police investigative report in October.
“The CAO is committed to reviewing each matter as expeditiously as possible while ensuring that all available evidence and legal considerations are carefully and thoroughly evaluated,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement, according to CBS News.
The Aftermath
Following the release of the video Monday, St. Louis police issued a statement claiming “information provided by a third‑party to investigators in the immediate aftermath of the incident was not consistent with the actual events or what was initially shared with the community.”
The police statement also claimed they provided the initial statement about the gun before viewing the body camera footage – but they never corrected that false statement until 18 months later, when the courts forced the release of the video.
“In this case, an earlier review of body‑worn camera footage would have provided greater clarity than what was available in the initial moments following the incident,” the statement says.
Meanwhile, Wilkins’ mother, Shaina Wilkins, said at a press conference she is still waiting for answers from police and has not even received the autopsy report.
She also said police refused her access to her son’s body following his death until the day before his funeral.
“I didn’t get to see his body. I didn’t get to dress him. I didn’t get to do his hair. I didn’t get to do anything,” she said, according to VOP News St. Louis.
When she was finally allowed to see her son’s body, she said: “he had maggots come out of his ears.”
Listed as defendants in the lawsuit, besides Carlson, are several members of the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners, a civilian panel that serves as the official head of the police department, setting overall policies and overseeing the chief and the agency.
The lawsuit accuses the defendants of wrongful death, assault and battery, negligent hiring and supervision, and violating Wilkins’ Fourth and 14th Amendment rights.
“There was no threat to the public, and you look at the video, and there were no furtive movements,” Watkins said.