- Damien Cameron died after his family says Rankin County Sheriff's deputies knelt on his back for more than 15 minutes.
- An incident report reviewed by Insider says that Cameron "collapsed" while running from police.
- An initial press release from the sheriff's office didn't say anything about Cameron falling or collapsing.
Damien Cameron, a Black man, died in a Mississippi sheriff's department's custody in July 2021 and his family still has no word on if the officers involved in his death will be held accountable. An incident report obtained by Insider shows conflicting reports about what led to his death between the local sheriff's department and the state agency that's investigating the case.
Cameron's mother, Monica Lee, previously told Insider that Damien died on July 26, 2021 after police searched her house without a warrant, chased Damien inside the house, tased him twice, and knelt on his back for over 15 minutes while he complained that he couldn't breathe.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is handling the investigation into Damien's death and according to Lee, her family is still unclear about the status of the investigation over 6 months later and is still struggling to pay for Damien's funeral costs. The MBI confirmed to Insider in an email that it is still investigating Damien's death more than 6 months later.
MBI report alleges Cameron "collapsed" during pursuit
A heavily redacted MBI incident report obtained by Insider alleges that Cameron "collapsed" while running away from police, but an initial press release from the sheriff's department does not say anything about Cameron collapsing.
"I was advised that Mr. Damien Cameron, who was the suspect, had broken into a neighbor's home, and the Rankin County Sheriff's Department was alerted and responded to the scene," an investigator wrote in the report. "Once on scene, it was advised that Mr. Cameron fled from the officers and in the process of fleeing, he collapsed."
The Rankin County Sheriff's Department released a statement on July 26, 2021 that said Cameron was identified as the suspect of a burglary and resisted arrest. Lee told Insider that her next-door neighbor's young child let Damien inside the house went he went to the home to ask for work. According to Lee, her neighbor was upset when they got home to find Damien in the house and called police.
The sheriff's department's initial statement does not mention Damien "collapsing" or falling during a pursuit.
"Deputies pursued Cameron and were able to make contact," the statement says. "Deputies issued orders to Cameron to place his hands behind his back. As the deputies approached Cameron he began to fight and resist arrest. Deputies were able to finally get Cameron secured and walk him to a patrol vehicle. After speaking with witnesses, deputies went to check on Cameron where he was found unresponsive."
Lee told Insider that no one from her family told the MBI that Damien collapsed while he was running from police. Lee said that the only time Damien collapsed was beside the patrol car when police were walking him to the car after his arrest and he became unresponsive in the car.
"It's crazy to me because I think the whole thing is trying to cover it up," Lee said. "But the way he sustained injuries, that can't be covered up, because you can't do that by tripping and falling."
The MBI and the Rankin County Sheriff's Department did not immediately return Insider's requests for comment on Tuesday.
According to Lee, Damien collapsed after an officer tased him the first time during a pursuit. Lee told Insider that Damien collapsed a second time when officers were walking him to a patrol car while he complained that he could not breathe. According to Lee, she asked deputies if she could give her son water, which they denied.
The MBI report further alleges that an investigator went to the hospital where police took Damien to speak with his mother and grandmother. Later, the document states that the investigator was contacted by the state medical examiner who asked for "one or both" of the Taser strips used on Damien. The MBI denied Insider's request to release Damien's medical examiner's report citing investigative privilege.