Location: The Ville neighborhood, St. Louis, Missouri
Date: June 18, 2024
Accused: No one charged; a St. Louis police officer fired the shots
Charges: None. Prosecutors declined to file charges on October 2, 2026
Status: Criminal review closed; the family's federal wrongful death lawsuit is pending
Emeshyon Wilkins, 17, was shot and killed by a St. Louis, Missouri, police officer on June 18, 2024, while he was running from officers after a vehicle pursuit. On Friday, October 2, 2026, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore announced that the officer will not face criminal charges.
The decision came more than two years after his death, and about six months after body camera video became public and the police department acknowledged that its first public account, which said the teenager pointed a gun at officers, did not match what happened. His parents are still pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court.
Who Was Emeshyon Wilkins?
Emeshyon Wilkins was a St. Louis teenager who had recently turned 17. St. Louis Magazine identifies his parents as Shaina Wilkins and Emanuel Mays, and a photo published by St. Louis Public Radio shows him with his younger siblings.
At a balloon release held in his memory after his death, his grandmother, Tiffany Jenkins, described him to FOX 2 as "nice, respectful, gentle, loving, caring, amazing. Always smiling."
"I had Emeshyon when I was 17, and he died when he was 17," his mother said, according to St. Louis Public Radio. She told KMOV that her son "should still be here," CBS News reported.
What Happened in St. Louis on June 18, 2024?
According to KMOV, officers in the Baden neighborhood spotted an SUV that had been reported stolen shortly before 1 p.m. and followed it. When police turned on their lights and sirens a few minutes later, the vehicle did not stop.
In the 4200 block of St. Louis Avenue, three teenagers got out of the SUV. A 17-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy were arrested. Wilkins ran into an alley in the Ville neighborhood with an officer chasing him on foot. At about 1:12 p.m., the officer fired. Wilkins was struck and died.
In its first public statement, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said that "an armed suspect turned and pointed a gun at officers," St. Louis Public Radio reported.
What Did the Body Camera Video Show?
The family's attorney, Albert Watkins, obtained the officer's body camera footage through the discovery process in the family's federal lawsuit, and it became public in April 2026. "They fought that video issue for over a year," Watkins told The Associated Press, according to CBS News.
St. Louis Public Radio, which reviewed the recording, reported that Wilkins is seen running through the alley and at no point appears to turn to face the officers. The outlet said it is not clear from the video whether he has anything in his hands, and that no firearm is visible around him afterward. The officer can be heard ordering him to get on the ground and to drop a gun. KMOV reported that about four seconds passed between the first command and the shots.
After the video was released, a police department spokesman acknowledged in a statement to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the initial account given to the public "was not consistent with the actual events," according to St. Louis Public Radio.
Why Was the Officer Not Charged?
The Circuit Attorney's Office received the case file from the police department's Force Investigation Unit on October 20, 2025, and began its review in April 2026, KMOV reported. Gore said cases are reviewed in the order they come in.
Announcing the outcome on October 2, Gore said his office concluded there was "not sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer's decision to use lethal force was objectively unreasonable."
Under state law, Gore said, the question is what the officer perceived at the moment of the shooting, not what the facts later showed. The officer told investigators he saw a gun in Wilkins' hand, ordered him to drop it, and feared that Wilkins would fire at him or at other detectives, according to KMOV.
Police found an unloaded handgun in Wilkins' pocket. Watkins has described the weapon as disassembled. Gore noted in his findings that the department's initial statement about Wilkins pointing a gun was wrong.
"The death of Emeshyon Wilkins is a tragedy for his family, and we view it as a tragedy for the entire community," Gore said.
The officer has not been charged with any crime. The claims made in the family's civil lawsuit are allegations that have not been proven in court.
What Police and the Family Have Said
In a statement after the decision, the police department said: "Any use of deadly force is serious and has lasting consequences for everyone involved and our community." The department also said it has changed its procedures since the shooting, and that a body-worn camera unit now responds to shooting scenes so footage can be reviewed before public statements are made, KMOV reported.
Watkins said the family was "crestfallen, heartbroken, sad for their son, and the city," St. Louis Public Radio reported. He also criticized how long the investigation took.
What Happens Next
With the criminal review closed, the case continues in civil court. Wilkins' parents filed their lawsuit in federal court in May 2025 against the city of St. Louis, the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners and the officer. Spectrum News reported that a settlement conference in March 2026 ended without an agreement.
St. Louis Public Radio reported that the lawsuit is set for trial in December, while KMOV reported that a trial date has not yet been set.
Timeline of the Emeshyon Wilkins Case
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| June 18, 2024 | Emeshyon Wilkins, 17, is shot by a St. Louis police officer after a pursuit and dies. |
| June 2024 | An initial police statement says he pointed a gun at officers. |
| May 2025 | His parents file a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court. |
| October 20, 2025 | The Circuit Attorney's Office receives the police investigative file. |
| March 2026 | A settlement conference ends without an agreement, according to Spectrum News. |
| April 2026 | Body camera video becomes public. Police acknowledge the initial account was not consistent with events. Prosecutors begin their review. |
| October 2, 2026 | Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore announces the officer will not be charged. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Was the St. Louis officer charged in Emeshyon Wilkins' death?
No. On October 2, 2026, Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore said there was not enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer's use of lethal force was objectively unreasonable.
Did Emeshyon Wilkins point a gun at police?
The police department first said he did, then acknowledged in April 2026 that the account was not consistent with the actual events. Police found an unloaded handgun in his pocket.
Is there a lawsuit over his death?
Yes. His parents filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit in May 2025 against the city, the Board of Police Commissioners and the officer. It is still pending.
MotiveX covers cases like this in documentary form on YouTube.
Sources
- St. Louis Public Radio: report on the decision not to charge the officer (October 2, 2026)
- KMOV First Alert 4: prosecutors' findings and timeline of the pursuit (October 2, 2026)
- St. Louis Public Radio: report on the body camera video and the initial police statement (April 2026)
- CBS News: national report on the body camera video and the family's response (April 2026)
- St. Louis Magazine: report on the body camera video and the lawsuit filed by Emeshyon Wilkins' parents (April 2026)
- Spectrum News St. Louis: report on the wrongful death lawsuit and use-of-force reviews (April 2026)
- FOX 2 via Yahoo News: family remembers Emeshyon Wilkins at a balloon release
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