Graphic body cam video shows police shooting that killed 6-year-old boy

MARKSVILLE, La. — Body camera video made public Wednesday from a Louisiana police-involved shooting in which a 6-year-old boy was killed shows police were unaware the boy was in the car.

Derrick Stafford and Norris Greenhouse Jr., both former marshals in Marksville, La., face separate trials on second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder charges.

The video, taken Nov. 3, 2015, was released as evidence during a hearing Wednesday by prosecutors to establish a pattern of prior excessive force against Stafford.

The first 30 seconds of the almost 14-minute video have no audio because Marksville Police Sgt. Kenneth Parnell III hadn't activated the button for audio, but the video shows Parnell with his weapon pointing toward Chris Few's car that was stopped at the intersection of Taensas Street and Martin Luther King Drive. To Parnell's right, flares from the gun of Greenhouse — standing feet away from the driver's side door — can be seen before the audio starts.

Once the audio begins, gunfire is heard. Few can be seen with at least one of his hands outstretched and raised outside the window.

"... shots fired, MLK and Taensas, MLK and Taensas, shots fired," Parnell radios. He also calls for an ambulance.

Once the sirens are silenced, someone yells, "Get your hands up!" But there is no movement from Few's car.

2 city marshals indicted in La. boy's shooting death

None of the law enforcement officers present — Stafford, Greenhouse, Parnell and Deputy Marshal Jason Brouillette — approach the vehicle immediately, and they don't realize until later that a second person is inside.

"Show me your hands, man!" someone else shouts.

Few slowly puts both arms out of the window and ends up slumped over the window's edge. Blood can be seen down the side of the driver's side door.

A profane shout is heard next followed by someone asking why did he do that.

Although it's unclear who said it, both Stafford and Greenhouse can be seen to the left of Parnell. Stafford is pacing.

Few struggles to get out of the car as all of the officers realize Jeremy, also is inside the car. Few can be heard mumbling something about "my little boy."

Nobody at the scene attempts to help Few or Jeremy, either saying they have no gloves or asking for some.

Almost three minutes into the video, Parnell walks over to Few's car. He sees Few hanging out of the window and Jeremy, still in the front passenger seat in his seat belt. "Oh," he says under his breath, and walks away.

Seconds later, he encounters Greenhouse. His hand moves up to his body camera, and he bumps into Greenhouse's shirt, level with his name across his chest. Immediately after, he does the same thing to Stafford.

Later, Stafford and Parnell have an exchange.

"Is he hit at all?" asked Stafford.

"Who?" asked Parnell.

"The driver," Stafford said.

"Yeah," Parnell replied.

"I never saw a kid in the car, man," Stafford said.

Police: Boy killed after marshals shoot at fleeing vehicle

"Yeah, the kid is ..." Parnell trails off.

"I never saw a kid, bro," Stafford continues, as he puts his hands on the trunk of one of the police cars and hangs his head.

Few ends up on the ground outside the driver's door, face down, while Parnell goes to the passenger's side. Both the front and rear windows are shattered, and Parnell tries to talk to Jeremy, who was still wearing his elementary school uniform.

"Hey, buddy. Hey, buddy," he said.

Parnell checks for a pulse, then taps Jeremy's chest before leaving the car. Few still can be heard moaning and making retching sounds outside the Kia. He then goes to others and asks whether they have gloves and can take the boy out of the car.

One officer tells him he hates to touch anything until the ambulance arrives. Parnell says that Jeremy has a faint pulse. Then, after putting on some gloves, he makes a second trip to Jeremy's side.

He removes the shoulder belt from around the left side of Jeremy's head before saying, "Oh, my God."

Near the end of the video, paramedics load Few into an ambulance. Parnell mentions Jeremy, and a paramedic said he's dead.

"You advising the juvenile's deceased?" asks Parnell.

At vigil for Jeremy Mardis: 'We need to keep this alive'

"He's deceased," is the reply.

Louisiana State Police Detective Rodney Owens, the lead case agent, testified that a crime lab report found 18 shell casings at the scene. Fourteen were from Stafford's weapon, while four were from Greenhouse's. Neither Parnell nor Brouillette fired their weapons.

Owens said Jeremy was hit with three projectiles that came from Stafford's weapon, and the boy also had one or two other wounds where the source could not be determined. Owens also testified that Greenhouse never radioed in with a reason why he was chasing Few, although attorneys for both defendants claimed Wednesday that Few was seen standing in a road and blocking another vehicle.

At different points during the hearings, the attorneys said Few either backed into or tried to ram Greenhouse's patrol unit, but the state — represented by Matthew Derbes with the Louisiana Attorney General's Office — asked Owens whether there was any evidence of a collision.

Owens answered that there was no physical evidence that a collision had happened.

After seeing the video and testimony from five witnesses who testified they were injured in some way by Stafford, Judge William Bennett ultimately ruled the prior excessive force complaints can be used in Stafford's trial.

Stafford's attorneys said they would appeal the decision.

Follow Melissa Gregory on Twitter: @JournoMGregory