In June 2024, St. Louis police were investigating a suspected stolen vehicle. After officers stopped the car, two occupants fled on foot. According to the St. Louis Police Department's account, the driver, Emeshyon Wilkins, ran into the backyard of a vacant house, where he allegedly "turned and displayed a handgun," prompting an officer to shoot him. The department later released body camera footage, which appears to differ from this account. In the video, Wilkins can be seen fleeing at full speed, moving in and out of the camera's frame several times for brief moments. The footage then shows the pursuing officer firing four rounds, which fatally wounded Wilkins. Notably, the video does not clearly show Wilkins carrying a firearm or turning toward the officer. A lawsuit brought against the city claims that parts of a disassembled gun was found on Wilkins but no actual gun was found.