On the evening of June 22, 2007, 12-year-old DeAunta Terrel Farrow, known as Tae Tae, was shot and killed in West Memphis, Arkansas, while walking with his 14-year-old cousin after stopping at a gas station convenience store. Two undercover West Memphis police officers, Erik Sammis and Jimmy Evans, emerged from behind a dumpster during a narcotics stakeout and confronted the boys. Officers said they saw a bulge in Farrow’s pocket and that he pulled out what appeared to be a gun, prompting Officer Sammis to shoot; the officers later reported they discovered the object was a toy gun. Eyewitnesses, including Farrow’s older brother, said the boy was only carrying soda and chips and posed no threat. Farrow was shot twice and died at the scene; a special prosecutor reported his last words were It’s just a toy.

The shooting triggered protests in the West Memphis African American community, a police commission meeting attended by hundreds demanding answers, and a funeral that drew about 1,500 mourners, where Reverend Al Sharpton delivered the eulogy. Farrow’s mother filed a $125 million lawsuit against the West Memphis Police Department.

Did anyone in the neighborhood witness the encounter near the Steeplechase Apartments or have information that might clarify what happened in those final moments?