Homewood Mayor Alex Wyatt released a statement Monday on behalf of the family of Jabari Peoples.
"As the Mayor of Homewood, I continue to urge the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to allow the family of Jabari Peoples to view the body camera footage from the June 23 shooting incident. Their request is completely understandable," he said.
The statement follows efforts by the family's attorneys to force the City to release the video.
"Legally, we don’t have the authority to release the footage because ALEA has taken over the investigation and, under the law, it controls access to evidence because it is the custodian of the footage. We have made that distinction clear in our legal filings in Jefferson County Circuit Court. We know this is an incredibly difficult time for everyone involved and want objective results made available to the family and the public as quickly as possible." Wyatt said.
The Homewood Police Department released a statement two days after the shooting that described what the officer reported happened:
"When the driver (Jabari Peoples) exited the vehicle, the officer observed a handgun in the door pocket of the open driver’s side door. The officer then attempted to secure Mr. Peoples in handcuffs to affect an arrest for Unlawful Possession of Marijuana and possible other charges, at which point Mr. Peoples began to actively resist. A physical struggle ensued, at which point the officer was knocked to the ground. Mr. Peoples broke away from the officer and retrieved the handgun from the open driver’s side door pocket, creating an immediate deadly threat to the officer. The officer, fearing for his safety, fired one round from his service weapon to defend himself, in accordance with Alabama state law (Title 13A-3-27(b2)). Mr. Peoples fell to the ground, still gripping the handgun in his right hand. The officer gave multiple verbal commands for Mr. Peoples to let go of the handgun. The officer then called for emergency backup as the other vehicle occupant, who had fled into the woods, began approaching the officer. The officer instructed the other occupant to sit on the curb while he removed the handgun from Mr. Peoples’ possession. Medics were then requested to respond to the scene."
The shooting has led to several protests in the area and accusations that a 2023 law is standing in the way of the family viewing the footage, an accusation that the bill sponsor, State Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham), has repeatedly called false. The bill stated, “A custodial law enforcement agency may choose to not disclose the recording if the disclosure would affect an ongoing active law enforcement investigation or prosecution.”
Givan responded to accusations against her this weekend, saying, "It's absolute foolery that he would have made that statement because my bill was created for the purpose of starting or giving a family an opportunity, or their representative to get a foot in the door, whereas they had no opportunities."
In 2021, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled police body cam footage is not a public record. Givan's bill, which she pointed out, "The Democratic Black Caucus, 20-something individuals sponsored that bill," sought to remedy that situation for families and representatives of those involved in officer-involved shootings, giving them an avenue for viewing.
A court hearing is scheduled for August 4 before Jefferson County Presiding Judge Elisabeth French.
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