DeAunta Terrel Farrow

Twelve-year-old DeAunta Farrow was fatally shot by a West Memphis police officer in June 2007; police mistook a toy gun for a firearm, and witness accounts disputed whether it was in his hand.

What happened

DeAunta Farrow, age 12, and his friend Unseld Nance, age 14, walked through a poorly lit apartment complex in West Memphis, Arkansas on June 22, 2007. Two officers in an unmarked vehicle were conducting surveillance of a nearby business. Officer Erik Sammis drew his weapon and shot Farrow. Officers reported seeing what they perceived to be a firearm and said the boy did not follow commands; Nance stated that Farrow's hands were raised and the toy gun was tucked into his waistband rather than being brandished. The toy gun was not a lethal weapon. Farrow's family demanded investigation, and subsequent federal civil litigation examined substantial factual disputes about what the officers said, whether they identified themselves and how the encounter unfolded.

Investigation & findings

A special prosecutor declined criminal charges. The Eighth Circuit addressed the family's civil claims and factual disputes. Corrected death date to June 22, 2007 from the Sheet's incorrect July 22 entry based on the contemporaneous reports and appellate record.

What happened

Investigation & findings

Sources & records