HE WAS RUNNING AWAY WHEN THE BULLET HIT—NOW HIS MOTHER IS STILL FIGHTING FOR THE TRUTH SHE SAYS WAS HIDDEN

HE WAS RUNNING AWAY WHEN THE BULLET HIT—NOW HIS MOTHER IS STILL FIGHTING FOR THE TRUTH SHE SAYS WAS HIDDEN

Emeshyon Wilkins was just 17 years old.

A teenager with a personality his mother described as “goofy,” someone who could make people laugh even in difficult moments, someone who loved numbers, who talked about working, saving money, and building a future after high school.

He had just celebrated his birthday weeks before his life was taken.

For his mother, Shaina Wilkins, the loss is not just about what happened that day in June 2024—it is about everything that came after, the silence, the contradictions, and the fight to uncover what she believes is the truth.

The encounter began when officers with a St. Louis anti-crime unit attempted to stop an SUV that had been reported stolen.

According to police, Emeshyon was inside that vehicle.

When officers approached, he ran.

That moment—him running away—became the final seconds of his life.

Body camera footage, released nearly two years later after a legal battle, shows an officer chasing him on foot, shouting commands for him to get on the ground and to drop a gun.

Seconds later, gunfire erupts.

Four shots were fired.

One struck Emeshyon in the back of the head.

He died at the scene.

At first, the story told to the public was clear and direct.

Police said the teen had turned toward officers and pointed a weapon, creating a threat that justified the use of deadly force.

That version of events shaped public perception in the immediate aftermath.

But when the bodycam footage was finally released in April 2026, it raised serious questions.

The video does not clearly show Emeshyon turning toward the officer.

It does not clearly show him pointing a weapon.

Instead, it appears he was still facing away—still running—when the fatal shot was fired.

For his mother, that moment shattered everything she had been told.

“They seen a phone. They didn’t see a gun,” she said, describing her belief that the situation was misinterpreted in a way that cost her son his life.

Investigators later confirmed that a firearm was found in Emeshyon’s pocket.

But there was a critical detail.

The weapon was disassembled.

It could not be fired.

That fact has become central to the family’s argument.

Because even if he had a gun, they say, it was not a threat in that moment.

And it does not explain why he was shot from behind.

As more details emerged, the story became even more complex.

According to the family’s attorney, Emeshyon had saved money from working at McDonald’s to buy the vehicle he was driving.

He paid someone in his neighborhood for it, unaware that it had been reported stolen.

A decision that may have been naive.

But not criminal intent.

Not something that should have led to his death.

The legal battle that followed has been long and frustrating.

It took more than a year—and a federal lawsuit—just to obtain the body camera footage.

His attorney, Albert Watkins, said the delay raises its own questions.

“We had to fight for it,” he said. “Now we see why they did not want it released.”

In March 2026, during a deposition that lasted just over an hour, the officer involved—Detective Brett Carlson—was questioned under oath.

But instead of providing answers, he invoked his Fifth Amendment right repeatedly.

Refusing to answer nearly all substantive questions.

He would not explain what happened during the encounter.

He would not confirm whether Emeshyon pointed a gun.

He would not discuss the bodycam footage.

He would not answer questions about his training, his actions, or whether department policies were followed.

For the family, that silence speaks volumes.

It leaves a void where clarity should be.

It reinforces their belief that something went wrong—and that no one is being held accountable.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has since acknowledged that early information shared with the public was not consistent with what was later seen in the video.

They admitted that information from third parties may have influenced the initial narrative.

They also stated that internal protocols have now been updated.

A body camera review unit will respond directly to scenes in the future to ensure more accurate information is released.

But for Shaina Wilkins, policy changes do not bring back her son.

They do not answer the most important questions.

Why was he shot?

Why was the truth delayed?

And why has it taken nearly two years to get even partial answers?

The case is still under review by the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office to determine whether criminal charges will be filed.

Meanwhile, the officer remains on desk duty—with pay.

For the family, that reality is difficult to accept.

Because their son is gone.

But the system continues as if nothing has changed.

Shaina Wilkins says justice, to her, is simple.

“I want officer Carlson to go to jail and let the world know what you did,” she said.

“It wasn’t right.”

But beyond accountability, she wants people to understand who her son truly was.

Not just the final moments captured on video.

Not just the headlines.

But the person.

A teenager.

A son.

A young man still figuring out his place in the world.

“He wasn’t a thug,” she said. “He wasn’t.”

“He was a kid.”

That statement cuts through everything else.

Because at the center of this case is not just a legal debate.

It is a life that ended too soon.

A future that will never happen.

A mother left with memories instead of milestones.

And as the investigation continues, one truth remains impossible to ignore.

A 17-year-old ran.

An officer fired.

And a single bullet changed everything.

Now, nearly two years later, the questions remain.

And a mother is still waiting—for answers, for accountability, and for a version of the truth she believes has yet to be fully told. 💔