Wilmington Police-Shooting Investigation Remains Open After Kadir Skinner Body-Camera Release

Three redacted body-camera videos released July 16 give the public a view of the Wilmington officer-involved shooting that killed 19-year-old Kadir Skinner, but they do not determine whether the shooting was legally justified.

Skinner was killed June 24, 2026, near 24th and Carter streets in Wilmington. The Delaware Department of Justice, the City of Wilmington and the Wilmington Police Department jointly released the videos from three officers after public demands for more information.

What the released videos establish

The official release says each video begins shortly before an officer arrives at the scene and ends shortly after the officer returns to a vehicle. The recordings were redacted to remove the faces and names of officers and witnesses. The DOJ said the footage is otherwise unaltered, while noting that body-camera video can begin with a silent buffering period before audio is recorded.

Delaware Public Media reported that one recording shows an officer arriving with a gun drawn, firing at Skinner, tackling him and handcuffing him. The report also said Skinner repeatedly said, “I can’t breathe.” In another portion, an officer asks whether Skinner was shot, and the officer holding him responds that he was.

Skinner’s attorneys have disputed aspects of the earlier public account of the encounter and said the footage raised questions about whether a weapon was visible in Skinner’s hand. Those are the attorneys’ interpretations of the video, not findings by the Delaware DOJ.

The DOJ has said it cannot characterize the people, events or objects shown while the investigation remains active. The footage therefore provides evidence for review but does not constitute a final finding about the shooting.

Investigation remains active

The DOJ’s Division of Civil Rights & Public Trust said it had completed substantial early steps, including key witness interviews, community canvassing and meetings with Skinner’s family. Investigators were still seeking supplemental video as of the July 16 release.

The agency had not issued its detailed public report or legal analysis. Under DOJ policy, those materials are expected after the investigation concludes, along with the identification of the officers and the release of additional evidence. No final charging decision had been announced in the cited reporting.

The officer who shot Skinner remained on paid administrative leave, and the Wilmington Police Department had not publicly identified the officer.

$25 million claim and Wilmington response

Attorneys for Skinner’s family said they sent Wilmington city government a $25 million wrongful-death claim on July 16. The filing is a legal demand and allegation, not a court finding or determination that the city or any officer is liable. The attorneys also said they expected the officer to face criminal charges, but that expectation was not an announcement by prosecutors.

Wilmington City Council members have raised concerns about the city’s communication with Skinner’s parents and the broader community. Councilmember Yolanda McCoy said the city and police department need stronger communication policies and should respond more quickly in future cases.

Councilmember Shané Darby called for police reform and said legislative policies should follow an external audit of the Wilmington Police Department. The audit and related reforms remain policy requests, not completed city actions.

Justice and healing rally planned for August 24

Religious leaders have joined the family’s calls for accountability and transparency. Delaware Public Media reported that local churches and community leaders announced a justice and healing rally for August 24, the two-month anniversary of Skinner’s death. The time and location had not yet been announced.

For Wilmington residents, the immediate takeaway is that the body-camera footage is public while the official process remains open. The next major benchmark will be the Delaware DOJ’s completed report and legal analysis, which are expected to address the investigation’s findings rather than simply describe what appears in the videos.

Sources

• Delaware DOJ body-camera footage release
• Delaware Public Media report on the footage and wrongful-death claim