Two of the officers face second-degree murder and aggravated assault charges.
Gershun Freeman’s family, friends and attorney hold a press conference in Memphis in March.
Shelby County sheriff Floyd Bonner said yesterday during a news conference that a local district attorney has obtained indictments against nine of his corrections officers in the death of Gershun Freeman, 33, on Oct 2. “Let me be clear, no actions by any Shelby County sheriff’s office employee caused Mr Freeman’s death … I stand with these officers,” Bonner said during the news conference, adding that the medical examiner determined that Freeman died from a pre-existing heart condition.
The legal team for Freeman’s family, led by high-profile civil rights attorney Ben Crump, said his death was another example of an unarmed black man killed without reason at the hands of law enforcement.