Video: Reactions To Police Officer’s Indictment

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)-October 16, 2015, that’s when Ricky Ball was shot by former Columbus police officer Canyon Boykin.

On September 8, 2016 Boykin was charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of Ball.

“The ball family has been waiting over a year for something to happen,” said Ward 4 City Councilman Marty Turner. “It took entirely too long.”

Turner said he was pleased to hear about Boykin’s indictment, but didn’t like how long the process took.

However, the councilman does believe Thursday’s indictment will bring some much needed relief to the city.

“I feel like now the city can start healing. It’s been a riff in the city between the races, between the people that think Boykin is innocent and Boykin is guilty,” said Councilman Turner.

“It’s a great day for the city of Columbus it shows what we can do when we work together,” said District 41 State Representative Kabir Karriem.

Karriem said it took consistent community involvement to reach this point.

“It was advised that signatures be signed throughout the community asking for a grand jury investigation, and a lot of unsung individuals inside the community played a role in getting these signatures signed,” the state representative said.

Karriem said he knows this indictment is just the first step in the process.

He wants everyone to be patient and allow the process to play out before everyone considers this a victory.

“Progress is a slow process and this is just one of the steps in the process of possibly getting a conviction. Yes, he;s been indicted, but it’s not over with,” said Karriem.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation’s report on this case was complete in June.

The report is not public but will be presented at the trial.