MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The family of Darrius Stewart, a 19-year-old who was killed by a Memphis police officer in 2015, wants to re-open the investigation.
Lawyer Carlos Moore sent the following message to District Attorney Steve Mulroy:
I represent Henry Williams, the father of Darrius Stewart, who was killed by Connor Schilling after a traffic stop in Memphis, Tennessee on July 17, 2015. Darrius was unarmed and Schilling has never been tried or convicted. I am asking that you re-open the case and convene a grand jury to see if a murder or manslaughter indictment is returned. I am happy to share all the evidence I collected during discovery in my civil case against the former officer and the city.
The Department of Justice said there was insufficient evidence to support federal civil rights charges against Officer Connor Schilling.
In 2016, the family of Stewart filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Memphis. Lawyers said they felt the lawsuit was the only way to hold Memphis Police accountable for civil rights violations and police killings. They sued for $17 million.
The District Court dismissed the City of Memphis from the Darrius Stewart case in 2019, releasing the City from all civil charges.
The following year, 2020, Stewart’s mother filed a lawsuit against the officer involved, Connor Schilling.
Years later, Stewart’s family is calling for investigators to take another look at the case. This comes after charges were filed against five former MPD officers accused of fatally beating Tyre Nichols to death.
