Mississippi mother demands justice after teen son fatally struck by a police cruiser

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More than a year after a Leland Police Department cruiser fatally struck 17-year-old Kadarius Smith, his mother, Kaychia Bell, continues to demand answers, accountability, and justice. The incident, which occurred on March 21, 2024, has left the Smith family grieving and frustrated by what they describe as a lack of transparency from local authorities.

Kadarius Smith: Press Conference Highlights Growing Outcry

On August 21, Bell, her sister Latoya Combs, and a group of supporters gathered outside the Thad Cochran U.S. Courthouse in Jackson to hold a press conference. The family and their supporters are calling for officials to terminate the officer involved in Smith’s death and pursue criminal prosecution.

“What is it going to take? All I want to know is the truth about my son,” Bell said, according to the Clarion Ledger. “I haven’t even got an apology from him, the chief of Leland. I hadn’t even got an apology from nobody.”

Family says lack of transparency fuels grief

Bell says she has repeatedly requested access to the police report and an investigative reconstruction report. To date, she alleged she has received no response. An investigative reconstruction report would recreate the sequence of events that occurred during the crime.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and Highway Patrol confirmed they handed the case over to the local district attorney in July 2024. However, Bell and civil rights activist John C. Barnett claim the DA recused themselves due to a conflict of interest and transferred the case to a judge. The judge’s identity remains unknown to the family.

Calls for Accountability and Federal Oversight

Smith’s family and supporters are urging state and federal officials, including Gov. Tate Reeves and U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, to intervene. Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump continues to represent the family in their pursuit of justice.

Combs, Smith’s aunt, described him as a vibrant young man with dreams of becoming a celebrity realtor in Atlanta. “We demand transparency, accountability, and justice. Today, we honor Kadarius. We will not let his name be forgotten,” she said.

Kadarius Smith: A Life Cut Short

On March 21, 2024, a Leland Police Department cruiser reportedly struck and killed 17-year-old Kadarius Smith—an incident that continues to spark serious questions about police accountability in Mississippi.

An autopsy obtained by the Clarion Ledger revealed that Smith stood 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 156 pounds at the time of his death. The report confirmed he suffered “blunt force injuries with massive blunt head trauma,” including significant bleeding in the brain. Smith, a high school junior with dreams of becoming a celebrity realtor, died from the severe trauma inflicted during the collision.

In May 2025, his mother, Kaychia Bell, walked across the graduation stage in her son’s place. It was a heartbreaking tribute that underscored the depth of her loss and the family’s ongoing demand for justice. The symbolic gesture served as a powerful reminder of the life and future cut short by a police-involved fatality that remains unresolved.

The officer who struck Smith has not been publicly named. Bell and Barnett allege he now works for a local school district and are calling for his immediate termination and criminal prosecution.