Ricky Ball’s Family Speaks Out

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)-On Thursday, Ricky Ball’s family spoke to the media for the first time since former Columbus police officer Canyon Boykin was indicted.

Boykin is charged with manslaughter in Ball’s death.

The family tells WCBI they’ve been on an emotional roller-coaster since the shooting happened, but some community support has helped them.

“We miss him dearly man,” said Ernesto Ball, Ricky Ball’s cousin.

It’s been almost a year since Ricky Ball was shot, and every week Ernesto Ball still makes his way out to Union Cemetery to put flowers on his cousin’s grave  and to spend a  little time with him.

“I’ve been around him his entire life, I used to change his diaper when he was a baby, so it really took a toll on me,” said Ernesto Ball.

Though some time has passed, the family said it has not started the healing process.

“Right now I’m not as angry as I was, but I’m more hurt than anything,” he said. “I feel like our family has been disrespected because of certain things that’s happened over this past week.”

Ernesto said there’s still a few things the family is unhappy with.  He believes some have characterized his cousin unfairly.

“He was not a thug, he never ever been convicted of a felony,” he said.

Along with the applause after Canyon Boykin was indicted last week.

“His mother, she’s really hurt behind it because to me, it makes it seems as if they feel his life didn’t matter,” the cousin said.

Ernesto also said his family first found out about Boykin’s indictment from WCBI, which surprised him.

“No one had the decency to call us,” he said.  “The alert came to my phone, I looked down and saw it, and It surprised me, I’m like what!”

The family claims Ricky Ball and Boykin had prior history.

“Making random stops, patting him down, it sounds like harassment to me,” Ernesto Ball explained. “I spoke with one of his closest friends that went to school with him. Him, Ricky, and Canyon Boykin all went to high school together, and they used to pick on canyon Boykin, his exact words were, I guess that’s what he meant, when he killed Rick I guess that’s what he meant when he said, you guys are going to regret this in the future.”

The Ball family said the one thing that would bring them closure is a conviction.

On Thursday, WCBI reached out to Boykin’s attorney, Jim Waide, for a comment, but did not hear back from him. He has previously declined to comment on the case.