A Gulfport police officer shot 15-year-old Jaheim McMillan outside of a Family Dollar last week after he refused to comply with orders, the town’s police chief said during a press conference on Tuesday. 

McMillan was shot in the temple by a police officer on Thursday last week. He was taken off life support at a hospital in Mobile, Alabama and died on Saturday. Since his death, there have been at least two protests outside the police department in downtown Gulfport, according to a report from Sun Herald. McMillan’s family has been calling for justice since the passing of the 15-year-old.

The police said that they had been responding to a 911 call that a car full of teenagers were waving guns around outside a Family Dollar. When they arrived, a Gulfport police officer engaged McMillan, which led to the shooting. The teen’s family says that he wasn’t armed at the time.

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Similarly, supporters of the family have said that body camera footage of the incident should be released immediately. 

“The officer gave orders to him to stop and drop his weapon. McMillan did not comply,” Police Chief Adam Cooper said on Tuesday. “McMillan turned his body and his weapon toward the officer. The officer fired at McMillan.”

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McMillan’s mother, Katrina Mateen, who has been protesting outside the police department told the Sun Herald that she believes the police are trying to intimidate her by driving past her home at night and flashing the lights of their patrol cars. 

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According to affidavits filed in the ongoing case, the 15-year-old McMillan was one of three teens wearing camouflage masks and threatening a motorist last week, shortly before the shooting occurred. The teens were allegedly driving recklessly near Interstate 10 and following a motorist. At a traffic stop, a rear seat passenger, believed to be McMillan was waving a gun. When the light turned green, the car continued to follow the motorist, when they made the call to 911.