Updated as of 10/10/2023 at 11:30 a.m. ET
Video footage of the fatal police shooting that claimed the life of Stephen Perkins was released, capturing a total of 18 gunshots shot on the front lawn on his home.
Perkins’ family argue that their loved one was ambushed by the Decatur, Ala. police. In the video, taken from a neighbor’s front door camera, a patrol is seen passing Perkins’ home and going down the street. Minutes later, a tow truck rolls into the driveway. A flashlight then appears from the front of the house moving toward the tow truck and man’s voice says, “Hey, give me my truck back!”
Seconds later another male appears running from the back of the home and a voice yells, “Hey, hey police! Get on the ground!” Before the officer even finished saying “ground,” over a dozen shots were fired.
More unintelligible orders were yelled regarding Perkins’ firearm. Neighbor Justin Shepherd told WAFF some of the shots went into his home across the street. He said he didn’t believe the cops gave Perkins enough time to respond, a similar argument echoed by his family attorney.
“The policy of not announcing yourself and creeping up into people’s onto people’s properties. They will tell you it’s for officer protection, so that they’re not ambushed, but what they did here was ambush Steve,” attorney Lee Merritt said via The AP.
The authorities still maintain that Perkins brandished his firearm at the officers which resulted in the shooting but until the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency releases the body camera footage, we really don’t know what the case is.
What Happened?
The family of the Black Alabama man are asking the local police for transparency in the fatal shooting of their loved one. As they wait for the release of the body camera footage, they dispute several claims from the cops’ side of the story.
The Decatur Police Department released a statement saying on Sept. 29, police were dispatched to respond to a local towing company that reported a man with a gun. They said the tow truck driver was trying to repossess a vehicle from the 3900 block of Ryan Drive SW but was encountered by 39-year-old Stephen Clay Perkins who allegedly threatened them with a firearm. The tow truck driver fled the scene and the officers went to Perkins’ home.
Authorities claim Perkins walked outside with a gun equipped with a flashlight and refused to drop it when officers ordered him to. One officer then shot his service weapon at Perkins. The officers on the scene rendered aid as they waited for the paramedics but he succumbed to his injuries later at the hospital.
What Perkins’ Family Says
A representative for the family released a statement from them noting that Perkins was not the aggressive “angry Black man” the cops painted him to be but instead a “family-oriented young Black man thriving for excellence,” via WHNT. They also Perkins fell behind on some payments but his car was not on repossession status, citing receipts found in his financing company. Therefore, they claimed the towing company wrongfully tried to repo Perkins’ vehicle.
Clearly, something ain’t adding up.
“The city retains body cameras which should have been in use during the incident. The family is calling for the city to deliver the footage to the family. In the meantime, surveillance exists of the incident through home security cameras. The unjust excessive amount of force can be seen in the home surveillance footage,” read the statement.
The Decatur Police Department declined to release the body camera video because, based on legislation, only the agency in custody of the evidence can decide on the disclosure of it. That agency is the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. It’s unclear when or if that release will happen. The Root reached out to the ALEA for confirmation.
“Please be advised that investigative material includes law enforcement records, including but not limited to investigative reports, field notes, witness statements and other investigative writings or recordings which are not public records but rather are privileged communications protected from disclosure. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) considers body cam footage to be investigative material,” said Amanda Wasden, ALEA Director of External Affairs.
Chief Todd Pinion said after the ALEA’s investigation, the findings will be turned over to the Morgan County District Attorney’s Office and presented to a grand jury for consideration. At the moment, the officer in question is on administrative leave upon the pending investigation.