Biloxi Police complete investigation into 3-month-old’s death in I-10 shootout

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - The Biloxi Police Department’s investigation into the death of three-month-old La’mello Parker and his father Eric Smith, is now in the hands of the Harrison County District Attorney’s Office. But the details aren’t being released for now.

Parker was killed in May during an I-10 vehicle chase between law enforcement officers and his father that ended in a shootout. Smith was the suspect in a double-murder in Louisiana.

Activists from multiple groups, including the Mississippi Rising Coalition, Black Lives Matter and the American Descendants of Slaves have been pushing for answers and demanding transparency in the investigation of Parker’s death.

Assistant District Attorney Matthew Burrell said the investigative file includes reports, statements, videos, and forensic testing - many of the items activists say should have been released to the public immediately.

The DA’s office is promising to present the complete file to a grand jury as soon as they finish reviewing it. Beyond that, little else is being said at this time.

“Due to legal and ethical obligations, the District Attorney’s Office cannot comment on the content of the file or when the file will be presented to the grand jury,” Burrell said.

Want more WLOX news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.