# Family Releases Graphic Photos After Officer-Involved Shooting of East Lansing Senior
The family of Isaiah Kirby released graphic photographs of his body on Wednesday to highlight what they describe as the devastating impact of the shooting.
Due to the extremely graphic nature of these images, the news outlet is not publishing them in this story.
Mother Counts 17 Gunshot Wounds
Kirby's mother said she counted at least 17 gunshot wounds, including multiple wounds to his back, when she was able to view his body.
She says the decision to release the photos came after viewing what their attorney described as a highly edited police video and after hearing remarks from a city council member the family believes misrepresented what happened.
Family Demands Raw, Unedited Video
The family renewed calls for the release of unedited video from the April 15 shooting during a May 12 news conference at Union Missionary Baptist Church in Lansing.
All we ask for is truth and transparency, Karyn Kirby said.
Attorney Teresa Caine Bingman said the family was shown what she described as a heavily edited and narrated presentation created by the East Lansing Police Department rather than full body camera footage.
They were shown a highly edited and actually insulting presentation that was narrated by the very agency that killed their son, Bingman said.
The attorney added that the presentation was curated and a one-sided presentation.
Questions Remain About the Incident
Bingman said the family still has unanswered questions surrounding the alleged stabbing connected to the incident.
Police say the shooting happened after officers responded to reports that local attorney Douglas Mielock had been stabbed.
However, Bingman said the footage shown to the family did not clearly show a stabbing taking place.
We don't know, Bingman said. We saw no video footage of the gentleman being stabbed.
Bingman said the shooting left Kirby's body with at least 17 gunshot wounds.
She also criticized what she described as delays, denial of access to information, and a lack of transparency since his death.
What Happened on April 15
Kirby was shot and killed by multiple East Lansing police officers near the intersection of Abbot and Lake Lansing roads just after 6 p.m. on April 15.
Police say they were responding to calls about a theft at a nearby business that escalated into a stabbing.
East Lansing Police Chief Jennifer Brown said officers who arrived on the scene found Kirby covered in blood and holding an object believed to be a knife.
Officers ordered Kirby to drop the knife, but she said, Kirby ran toward them with a knife and refused repeated commands to drop it, prompting them to open fire.
Mielock was critically injured.
At Tuesday's city council meeting, a family member said Mielock was attacked from behind as he was getting into his car after a haircut.
Shelley Davis Boyd, the mother of Mielock's children, described the impact the incident has had on their family during a packed city council meeting Tuesday night.
He sustained at least 12 stab wounds, along with numerous defensive blunt force injuries, while fighting for his life against a man one-third his age, she said.
My children's father was not engaged under confrontation. He was not participating in criminal activity, she added.
Mother Remembers Her Son
At Tuesday's press conference, Karyn Kirby described the grief of losing her firstborn son just days before his 22nd birthday and weeks after the family had visited him on campus for a March Madness game.
She said Kirby was excited about a job interview in Texas and was on track to graduate later in April.
Kirby described her son as a bright student weeks away from graduating with a zoology degree and said he had an upcoming interview with the Austin Zoo in Texas.
She called on East Lansing Police and Michigan State Police to provide truth and transparency, urging law enforcement agencies to review and strengthen procedures for less lethal techniques.
She questioned why deadly force was used against her son.
Police Plan Expanded Video Release
East Lansing Police had initially planned to release a narrated timeline of the April 15 incident but decided to delay the release of the timeline after talking with family members and their attorney, saying they would re-evaluate what video evidence might be released later.
In a news release issued by East Lansing police on May 12, City Manager Robert Belleman vowed that the police department will continue to remain transparent and cooperate with the Michigan State Police investigation of the incident.
He said the city plans to release six bodycam videos and three police vehicle camera videos by the end of the week, with legally required redactions.
The officers who fired their weapons remain on paid administrative leave, which is standard protocol for officer-involved shootings.
Police also confirmed they do not have footage of the stabbing itself or material from other responding agencies, including Michigan State Police.
Calls for Leadership Change
During the press conference, East Lansing leadership also faced criticism from the Greater Lansing NAACP.
NAACP Interim President James McCurtis called for major changes within East Lansing government and police leadership.
James McCurtis Jr., of the NAACP's Lansing branch, said the group has been calling for Brown to step down since last fall for what he described as a pattern of excessive force being used against Black people.
The police chief, city manager and all of the City Council should be replaced, McCurtis said.
East Lansing needs to clean house, McCurtis added.
Community members at Tuesday's meeting also demanded the release of body camera footage and questioned the level of force used by officers.
Sources:
- WILX: Family of Isaiah Kirby releases graphic photos, calls for justice after death in officer-involved shooting
https://www.wilx.com/2026/05/13/family-isaiah-kirby-releases-graphic-photos-calls-justice-after-death-officer-involved-shooting/