Grand jury does not indict Mississippi deputy who fatally shot man who yelled ‘shoot me’

A Mississippi grand jury has opted not to bring criminal charges against a sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot a man yelling “shoot me,” the state attorney general’s office announced Monday.

The incident occurred on December 10, 2022, when Hancock County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a reported attempted break-in in Kiln. Upon arrival, deputies encountered Isaiah Winkley, 21, of Coweta County, Georgia, outside a home. Body camera footage reviewed by a federal judge showed Winkley holding a steel fence post and candy while repeatedly shouting “shoot me” at the deputies.

After a Taser used by one deputy proved ineffective, Deputy Michael Chase Blackwell shot Winkley multiple times with his gun. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation reviewed the incident, and findings were presented to a Hancock County grand jury. “The grand jury reported that it found no criminal conduct on behalf of the officer involved,” Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office stated. “No further criminal action will be taken by this Office in this matter.”

The Sun Herald reported that federal prosecutors decided not to charge Blackwell after he agreed to surrender his law enforcement license and certification. Meanwhile, Winkley’s family has filed a federal lawsuit against Hancock County and its sheriff’s department, which is currently on hold pending an appeal by Blackwell for qualified immunity.