The release of a new police body camera video this week has reignited public outcry in western Illinois. The footage depicts the tragic shooting of a four-year-old boy, Terrell Miller, by local law enforcement in March. This incident occurred approximately 84 miles from the location where Sonya Massey was fatally shot, an event also captured on body camera footage and released just over a week prior.
The Macomb police were responding to a domestic violence call on the evening of March 16. Upon arrival, officers heard screams emanating from inside an apartment. They subsequently forced entry into the residence. Inside, they discovered a woman suffering from stab wounds and a man, later identified as 57-year-old Anthony George, wielding two knives.
The body camera footage shows George momentarily disappearing from the camera’s view, only to reappear with young Miller in his arms. George was seen holding a knife to the boy’s throat, prompting one of the officers to fire a shot. The single bullet tragically ended the lives of both George and Miller.
The incident has sparked protests across Illinois, with demonstrators demanding justice for Miller. The boy’s mother expressed her devastation over the decision not to press charges against the officers involved. After a thorough review by a special prosecutor, it was determined that there was no basis for criminal charges against the officers. The prosecutor’s office stated that Miller was being used as a human shield by George at the time of the shooting.
Further information has emerged suggesting a possible familial connection between Miller and Massey, the woman killed in the earlier police shooting. Reports indicate that the two may have been cousins or shared some other form of kinship. Investigations are ongoing to confirm this potential family tie.