Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling held a press conference Thursday afternoon to discuss the fate of the officers involved in a shooting that led to the death of Stephen Perkins on September 29.
According to Bowling, three officers were terminated, and one officer had been suspended without pay, effectively immediately, following this week's disciplinary hearings.
Bowling said that due to an exception in Alabama public records laws, the officers' names and other specifics of the hearings will not be made available to the public unless the officers decide to appeal the decision, which they have seven days to decide.
"It is incumbent on us as a city, as people who love Decatur, to work to move forward and to work to ensure that this tragedy is not forgotten or ignored," Bowling said. "The City of Decatur will begin a top-to-bottom review of the policing policies, practices and ways to improve, including how we provide information to the public. Taking this important step is one way to improve, grow and in a certain sense, rebuild public trust."
Before the hearings, Decatur Police Chief Todd Pinion determined that policies had been violated by the officers involved.
The incident originated on September 29 when Perkins was alleged to have threatened a tow truck driver attempting to repossess his vehicle. Following the confrontation, the tow truck driver returned with officers from the city's police department. Perkins again confronted the tow truck driver while holding a pistol and was fired upon by officers.
These disciplinary hearings were to decide if policies were violated and what punishment would be appropriate. They are not criminal charges.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) is conducting the criminal investigation into the case to determine if any of the officers involved will be charged with any crimes. 1819 News reached out to ALEA but did not receive a request for comment.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email Bradley.Cox@1819news.com.
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