Current:Home > NewsOfficials search for answers in fatal shooting of Black Alabama homeowner by police-InfoLens
Officials search for answers in fatal shooting of Black Alabama homeowner by police
View Date:2024-12-23 14:21:15
DECATUR, Ala. (AP) — City and state officials asked for patience Friday in the investigation of the fatal police shooting of a Black man at his Alabama home, a day after hundreds mourned him at a vigil.
Steve Perkins, 39, was shot and killed by police Sept. 29 at his home in Decatur in what police said began in a confrontation with a tow truck driver trying to repossess a truck.
Decatur police in their initial statement about the shooting said officers accompanied the driver back to the home and shot Perkins after he “turned the gun toward one of the officers.” The state law enforcement agency said Perkins had a gun with a light on it.
Family members have questioned the police account. In home surveillance camera footage published by WAFF, all is quiet until an officer is heard shouting “police, get on the ground.” Shots are then immediately heard being fired in rapid succession. The family said in a statement that the truck was not in repossession, and that Perkins was shot seven times.
Hundreds of people gathered outside of Decatur City Hall on Thursday night in a vigil for Perkins.
”Not only was I his brother, but I was his friend. You have no idea how it feels to be born a protector, and the job is taken away from you, unjustly, and unwarranted,“ he said while holding back tears,” Nicholas Perkins said during the vigil, according to WAFF.
Lee Merritt, an attorney representing the Perkins family told WAAY that the family is looking for answers and accountability. “We believe what’s best for the community, what’s best for transparency, is the rapid release of the evidence involved, indictments,” he told the station. Merritt is a well-known attorney who has represented the families of Black people killed by police.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, which is investigating the shooting, said Friday that it did not have any additional information to release to the public. The agency said it opened a tip line for information.
“We continue to ask for everyone’s patience as ALEA’s SBI conducts what must be a very thorough and methodical investigation,” the agency said in a statement.
Protests have occurred in the north Alabama city daily since the death.
“The thing that has been consistent is looking for answers. We understand that. That is something everyone wants and they want answers now. Unfortunately, we don’t have control of that,” Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling told news outlets.
Perkins’ neighbor Justin Shepherd told WAFF that he was concerned about how the shooting unfolded based on what was captured on the home surveillance video.
“He was spotlighted from behind, and turned around to see who it was,” he said. “The officers were running at him at yelling, and within a second, he put his hands up, and they started firing.”
veryGood! (722)
Related
- Democrat Janelle Bynum flips Oregon’s 5th District, will be state’s first Black member of Congress
- Forget 'hallucinate' and 'rizz.' What should the word of the year actually be?
- Somalia’s president says his son didn’t flee fatal accident in Turkey and should return to court
- The Supreme Court will hear arguments about mifepristone. What is the drug and how does it work?
- Wind-whipped wildfire near Reno prompts evacuations but rain begins falling as crews arrive
- We didn't deserve André Braugher
- MLB hot stove: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Cody Bellinger among the top remaining players
- 24 Games to Keep Everyone Laughing at Your Next Game Night
- Michigan soldier’s daughter finally took a long look at his 250 WWII letters
- 'Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget': Release date, cast, trailer, where to watch movie
Ranking
- Elon Musk responds after Chloe Fineman alleges he made her 'burst into tears' on 'SNL'
- Epic Games beat Google but lost to Apple in monopoly lawsuits. What does it all mean?
- Texas judge finds officer not guilty in fatal shooting of pickup driver
- Australian court overturns woman’s 2-decade-old convictions in deaths of her 4 children
- Blake Snell free agent rumors: Best fits for two-time Cy Young winner
- Oklahoma City voters approve sales tax for $900 million arena to keep NBA’s Thunder through 2050
- People have been searching for this song from 'The X-Files' for 25 years. Until now
- Owner of Washington Wizards and Capitals seriously considering leaving D.C. for Virginia
Recommendation
-
Karol G addresses backlash to '+57' lyric: 'I still have a lot to learn'
-
Chris Christie looks to John McCain's 2008 presidential primary bid as model for his campaign
-
Bomb blast damages commercial area near Greece’s largest port but causes no injuries
-
André Braugher mourned by 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' co-star Terry Crews: 'You taught me so much'
-
Megan Fox Is Pregnant, Expecting Baby With Machine Gun Kelly
-
Is a soft landing in sight? What the Fed funds rate and mortgage rates are hinting at
-
Wartime Palestinian poll shows surge in Hamas support, close to 90% want US-backed Abbas to resign
-
Horoscopes Today, December 13, 2023