Sherita Harris, who was riding in the passenger seat of a car in Jackson, Mississippi, was shot in the head and has been waiting for someone to be held accountable for it for more than two years.
The mother of five finally received a sign on Friday.
Two state police officers have been charged in connection with the shooting, which left her with irreversible memory loss, hearing and vision impairments, and a partially paralyzed face, according to the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office.
“It’s been so long, I thought they forgot and were going to sweep it under the rug,” Harris, 40, stated. “It brings me a little joy.”
Michael Rhinewalt, a Mississippi Capitol Police officer, and Jeffery Walker, a former officer, were both charged by a state grand jury on aggravated assault charges.
They are accused of shooting Harris “under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life.”
Rhinewalt and Walker were also accused of shooting at Harris’ friend while he was driving. Sinatra Jordan, the buddy, is accused of shooting at the officers during a chase, which he denies.
The officers claim that they opened fire when Jordan shot at them.
The state Attorney General’s Office announced the indictments on Friday afternoon. They were handed out in December.
Scott Gilbert, the lawyer defending Rhinewalt, stated in an email that the officer “acted appropriately when he returned fire after being shot at by the suspect” and expressed confidence that he would “be vindicated at trial.”
Francis Springer, Walker’s lawyer, stated in an email that Walker “maintains his innocence, but must not make any comments before trial.”
Walker is also facing federal civil rights charges for allegedly beating a motorist during an arrest in July 2022, which was a month before Harris was shot. In that matter, he has entered a plea of not guilty.
Justin Smith, who is defending Harris in a $3 million lawsuit against Mississippi authorities, stated that he was surprised by the announcement because the state Attorney General’s Office does not often charge police officers for killings.
“I’m just shocked and surprised the AG’s office took the initiative and they are indicting the officers,” Smith stated.
In a statement, the state attorney general’s office stated that because the issue is in “active litigation,” it would not comment.
Rhinewalt was put on unpaid leave while an internal hearing was held, according to a statement from Sean Tindell, commissioner of the state Department of Public Safety, which is in charge of the Capitol Police.
He claimed that in July 2023, Walker departed from the Capitol Police.
According to Tindell, the Department of Public Safety established an internal affairs division to independently review complaints against officers following Harris’ shooting on August 14, 2022.
Walker and Rhinewalt were not wearing cameras when Harris was shot, but Capitol Police officers now wear them.
Harris doesn’t remember being shot. Her friend Jordan’s statement that the cops were stopping them is the last thing she recalls. Three days later, her face was ripped apart when she awoke in a hospital.
The officers, who were both recently hired by the Capitol Police as part of a Jackson crime crackdown, claimed that after Jordan escaped a traffic stop, he led them on a chase through downtown.
In a September 2022 hearing, Walker said that Jordan fired at them first, and then he and Rhinewalt opened fire on the vehicle.
In a quiet neighborhood, Walker recounted a conflict that concluded with a rolling pistol. During the chase, Walker claimed to have seen articles thrown from the automobile, but they were never located. He claimed that no bullets had struck their patrol car.
Jordan denied Walker’s version of the chase’s beginning, path, and shooting location. Jordan has been detained since the incident and is awaiting trial on accusations of escaping and aggravated assault on police officers.
Jordan has denied having a pistol and throwing anything from the car in interviews and letters. Additionally, he said that officers had beaten him.
Walker said that when police searched the car after the chase was over and Jordan was taken into custody, they did not find a gun. However, they did discover Harris with a gunshot wound.
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The witness earlier told that after finding Harris, she heard one of the officers say, “Oh my God, oh my God.”
According to Harris, she needed surgery to fix her left eye and ear and remove a bullet. She has trouble chewing meals since the left side of her face is still partially paralyzed.
She claimed to have PTSD and despair. She rarely leaves the house and relies on a caretaker to help her get by.
Harris claimed that the indictments provided her with some respite from her suffering.
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