Latest news with #HomewoodPoliceDepartment
NBC News
5 days ago
- NBC News
Alabama governor backs withholding video of officer fatally shooting Black student
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is supporting a state agency's refusal to release body camera footage in the fatal police shooting of an 18-year-old Black college freshman, saying the case must first be thoroughly investigated. Ivey said she was confident 'the facts will prevail' when the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency completes its investigation into the June 23 shooting of Jabari Peoples by an officer with the Homewood Police Department. 'This case [is] a top priority, and I am confident they are working to efficiently get this done,' Ivey said in a statement Wednesday to NBC affiliate WVTM 13 in Birmingham. Peoples, an aspiring police detective, was killed at a soccer complex where he was sitting in his parked car with his girlfriend. An officer approached his car around 9:30 p.m. because he said he smelled what seemed like marijuana. Peoples' girlfriend, whose name has not been released, has denied he had a gun, said family attorney Ben Crump. The officer, who has not been publicly identified, shot Peoples after he said Peoples reached for a gun in the pocket of his car door, according to the police department. Peoples was shot in the back but there was no exit wound on his body and the bullet was not found inside him, according to an autopsy conducted by an independent medical examiner hired by his family. An autopsy conducted by the Jefferson County Coroner's Office has not been released at the request of the state law enforcement agency. The officer's body camera video documenting the shooting has become a crucial piece of evidence as Peoples' family and girlfriend dispute the department's version of events. The family, local leaders and many Homewood residents are demanding that the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency release it. State Rep. Kelvin Datcher, a Democrat who represents Homewood, said withholding the video undermines public confidence in law enforcement and tarnishes the integrity of the case. 'The point of having body camera footage is to ensure transparency for the community,' he said Thursday. 'There's an urgency for the family to get a look at that video.' Protesters showed up to the Homewood City Council meeting this week calling for the video's release and threatening to boycott local businesses, with the idea that economic pressure might force leaders to change their position. 'We will host sit-ins, we will hold dine-ins and vigils through downtown at the doorstep of your businesses,' the Rev. Wayne Harris told the council, according to WVTM. 'Your commerce will feel our grief, and we will shut Homewood down for justice.'
NBC News
7 days ago
- NBC News
Family wants to know why student was fatally shot by an Alabama police officer
An independent autopsy determined that no exit wound or bullet was found in the body of an 18-year-old Black college freshman who was fatally shot by a police officer in Alabama, his family's attorney said Tuesday. Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump asked state officials and the Homewood Police Department to release body camera video of the deadly June 23 encounter to help explain why Jabari Peoples, an aspiring police detective with no criminal history, was killed, Crump said in a news conference. The Homewood Police Department said the video had been turned over to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, which is investigating the case. The police department has not released the name of the officer who shot Peoples. Crump said Peoples was majoring in computer information systems and criminal justice but did not name the school he attended. 'Jabari represented the very best of what we had to offer and was doing everything right,' Crump said. The department said in a statement released two days after the shooting that the officer approached a vehicle parked in the back of a soccer complex around 9:30 that night because the officer smelled what seemed like marijuana. Recreational use of cannabis is illegal in Alabama but medical marijuana is legal. The officer ordered Peoples and his girlfriend out of the vehicle, the statement said. The girlfriend's name has not been released by the department nor by Crump. When the officer attempted to arrest Peoples for unlawful possession of a controlled substance, the statement said, a physical struggle broke out between them. The officer was knocked to the ground, and Peoples grabbed a handgun from inside the driver's-side door pocket, according to the statement. 'The officer gave multiple verbal commands for Mr. Peoples to let go of the handgun,' department officials said in the statement. But Peoples' girlfriend told his family and Crump that Peoples was unarmed, according to NBC News affiliate WVTM13 in Birmingham, Alabama. She told his family that she and Peoples were approached by a man in an unmarked vehicle with no lights or sirens and without visible identification, and that they complied with orders, the station reported. 'We buried our child on Saturday, just show us what happened to our child please,' said Peoples' father, William Peoples, at the news conference. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said Tuesday that releasing the video, even to just family members, could hinder its investigation. 'Due to the ongoing investigation, we do not have any additional details to share.' The agency's response was contrary to what the police department said in its statement. "The details surrounding this incident are clearly captured on the officer's body worn camera, of which ALEA took possession," it said. "Arrangements are being made to coordinate viewing of the video by Mr. Peoples' family." Crump said releasing the video is crucial to understanding why Peoples was shot in the back and what happened to the bullet. The family hired a medical examiner in Atlanta to conduct an independent autopsy on Peoples' body before Saturday's funeral, Crump said. Family members told WVTM13 that the police department did not contact them the night their son was killed and that the Jefferson County Coroner's Office conducted an autopsy without their consent. They also have not received an official police report on the shooting, they told the station. Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates confirmed his office completed an autopsy on Peoples but said the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency asked it not to release any information about the case. During the news conference Tuesday, people in the crowd could be heard chanting, 'Show the video.' 'If the goal is transparency and justice, this is not hard logic, give us the evidence,' said Leroy Maxwell Jr., another attorney representing the family.
Hamilton Spectator
08-07-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Family of Alabama teen shot by police seeks access to video of shooting
HOMEWOOD, Ala. (AP) — Lawyers representing the family of a Black teenager shot and killed by police in an Alabama suburb said the state's refusal to release body-camera video during an investigation is fueling mistrust over the shooting. 'All this family wants is transparency plus accountability. And that's how we get back to trust. We're not asking for anything else that you wouldn't want if it was your child,' Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney, said during a Tuesday press conference with family members. Family members of Jabari Peoples and lawyers representing the family held a press conference Tuesday as they continue to seek access to the body-camera footage of the fatal shooting. Peoples, 18, was shot June 23 by a police officer in the parking lot of a soccer field in Homewood, an affluent suburb near the central city of Birmingham. The Homewood Police Department said the officer fired his weapon after Peoples grabbed at a gun from a car door during a scuffle as the officer was trying to arrest him for marijuana possession. The family is disputing the police version of events and said Peoples did not have a gun when he was approached, according to an eyewitness. The Homewood Police Department said the details surrounding the incident are 'clearly captured' on the officer's body camera. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, which is reviewing the use of force, has possession of the video but has declined to release it during the investigation. A 2023 state law that governs release of police recordings says an agency may choose to not disclose the recording if it would impact an active law enforcement investigation 'ALEA's investigation into the officer-involved shooting that occurred in Homewood remains ongoing,' Amanda Wasden, a spokesperson for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, wrote in a Tuesday email. Activists have staged regular protests in Homewood since the shooting. Crump said Tuesday that police could 'shut us up' by releasing the video. 'Just release the video. Show us the officer did nothing wrong, Show us that it was justified. It's a matter of trust, because too often we see our children get killed and they try to justify unnecessary, unjustifiable killings,' Crump said. People's parents held portraits of their son. He had dreams of finishing multiple degrees and wanted to be a police detective and a pilot in the future, they said. 'He had a lot of dreams, and he was willing to work for his dreams,' Vivian Sterling, his mother said. Hundreds of people attended a vigil for Peoples last week at the soccer complex where he was shot. The family released doves and white balloons and brought in a large photo of Peoples with angel wings. Candles spelled out 'Jabari' at the spot where he was killed. The shooting unfolded about 9:30 p.m. when a police officer approached a car at the Homewood Soccer Complex where Peoples and a female friend were parked. The Homewood Police Department posted a statement on social media that the officer smelled marijuana and noticed a handgun in the pocket of the driver's side door. The officer attempted to put Peoples in handcuffs to arrest him for marijuana possession and a struggle ensued, according to the statement. Police have not released the name of the officer. Peoples is a 2024 graduate of Aliceville High School in the city of the same name, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Homewood. 'Give this family what they so deserve, and that's to know exactly what was happening in their son's and their brother's last moments,' Leroy Maxwell, Jr., an attorney representing the family, said. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
08-07-2025
Family of Alabama teen shot by police seeks access to video of shooting
HOMEWOOD, Ala. -- Lawyers representing the family of a Black teenager shot and killed by police in an Alabama suburb said the state's refusal to release body-camera video during an investigation is fueling mistrust over the shooting. 'All this family wants is transparency plus accountability. And that's how we get back to trust. We're not asking for anything else that you wouldn't want if it was your child,' Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney, said during a Tuesday press conference with family members. Family members of Jabari Peoples and lawyers representing the family held a press conference Tuesday as they continue to seek access to the body-camera footage of the fatal shooting. Peoples, 18, was shot June 23 by a police officer in the parking lot of a soccer field in Homewood, an affluent suburb near the central city of Birmingham. The Homewood Police Department said the officer fired his weapon after Peoples grabbed at a gun from a car door during a scuffle as the officer was trying to arrest him for marijuana possession. The family is disputing the police version of events and said Peoples did not have a gun when he was approached, according to an eyewitness. The Homewood Police Department said the details surrounding the incident are 'clearly captured' on the officer's body camera. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, which is reviewing the use of force, has possession of the video but has declined to release it during the investigation. A 2023 state law that governs release of police recordings says an agency may choose to not disclose the recording if it would impact an active law enforcement investigation 'ALEA's investigation into the officer-involved shooting that occurred in Homewood remains ongoing,' Amanda Wasden, a spokesperson for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, wrote in a Tuesday email. Activists have staged regular protests in Homewood since the shooting. Crump said Tuesday that police could 'shut us up' by releasing the video. 'Just release the video. Show us the officer did nothing wrong, Show us that it was justified. It's a matter of trust, because too often we see our children get killed and they try to justify unnecessary, unjustifiable killings,' Crump said. People's parents held portraits of their son. He had dreams of finishing multiple degrees and wanted to be a police detective and a pilot in the future, they said. 'He had a lot of dreams, and he was willing to work for his dreams,' Vivian Sterling, his mother said. Hundreds of people attended a vigil for Peoples last week at the soccer complex where he was shot. The family released doves and white balloons and brought in a large photo of Peoples with angel wings. Candles spelled out 'Jabari' at the spot where he was killed. The shooting unfolded about 9:30 p.m. when a police officer approached a car at the Homewood Soccer Complex where Peoples and a female friend were parked. The Homewood Police Department posted a statement on social media that the officer smelled marijuana and noticed a handgun in the pocket of the driver's side door. The officer attempted to put Peoples in handcuffs to arrest him for marijuana possession and a struggle ensued, according to the statement. Police have not released the name of the officer. Peoples is a 2024 graduate of Aliceville High School in the city of the same name, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Homewood. 'Give this family what they so deserve, and that's to know exactly what was happening in their son's and their brother's last moments,' Leroy Maxwell, Jr., an attorney representing the family, said.
Winnipeg Free Press
08-07-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Family of Alabama teen shot by police seeks access to video of shooting
HOMEWOOD, Ala. (AP) — Lawyers representing the family of a Black teenager shot and killed by police in an Alabama suburb said the state's refusal to release body-camera video during an investigation is fueling mistrust over the shooting. 'All this family wants is transparency plus accountability. And that's how we get back to trust. We're not asking for anything else that you wouldn't want if it was your child,' Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney, said during a Tuesday press conference with family members. Family members of Jabari Peoples and lawyers representing the family held a press conference Tuesday as they continue to seek access to the body-camera footage of the fatal shooting. Peoples, 18, was shot June 23 by a police officer in the parking lot of a soccer field in Homewood, an affluent suburb near the central city of Birmingham. The Homewood Police Department said the officer fired his weapon after Peoples grabbed at a gun from a car door during a scuffle as the officer was trying to arrest him for marijuana possession. The family is disputing the police version of events and said Peoples did not have a gun when he was approached, according to an eyewitness. The Homewood Police Department said the details surrounding the incident are 'clearly captured' on the officer's body camera. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, which is reviewing the use of force, has possession of the video but has declined to release it during the investigation. A 2023 state law that governs release of police recordings says an agency may choose to not disclose the recording if it would impact an active law enforcement investigation 'ALEA's investigation into the officer-involved shooting that occurred in Homewood remains ongoing,' Amanda Wasden, a spokesperson for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, wrote in a Tuesday email. Activists have staged regular protests in Homewood since the shooting. Crump said Tuesday that police could 'shut us up' by releasing the video. 'Just release the video. Show us the officer did nothing wrong, Show us that it was justified. It's a matter of trust, because too often we see our children get killed and they try to justify unnecessary, unjustifiable killings,' Crump said. People's parents held portraits of their son. He had dreams of finishing multiple degrees and wanted to be a police detective and a pilot in the future, they said. 'He had a lot of dreams, and he was willing to work for his dreams,' Vivian Sterling, his mother said. Hundreds of people attended a vigil for Peoples last week at the soccer complex where he was shot. The family released doves and white balloons and brought in a large photo of Peoples with angel wings. Candles spelled out 'Jabari' at the spot where he was killed. The shooting unfolded about 9:30 p.m. when a police officer approached a car at the Homewood Soccer Complex where Peoples and a female friend were parked. The Homewood Police Department posted a statement on social media that the officer smelled marijuana and noticed a handgun in the pocket of the driver's side door. The officer attempted to put Peoples in handcuffs to arrest him for marijuana possession and a struggle ensued, according to the statement. Police have not released the name of the officer. Peoples is a 2024 graduate of Aliceville High School in the city of the same name, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Homewood. 'Give this family what they so deserve, and that's to know exactly what was happening in their son's and their brother's last moments,' Leroy Maxwell, Jr., an attorney representing the family, said.
