Family of Fatally Shot Student Seeks Body Cam Footage

Mayor Alex Wyatt of Homewood is once again urging law enforcement in Alabama to grant the family of Jabari Peoples, a 19-year-old student from Alabama A&M who was shot by police last month, access to the body camera footage from the incident.

“As mayor of Homewood, I continue to stress the importance of allowing Jabari’s family to view the body camera footage from the June 23rd shooting,” Wyatt stated. “Their requests are completely reasonable.”

The incident occurred at Homewood Soccer Park on the evening of June 23rd. Police reported that officers approached a parked vehicle with female companions after detecting the scent of marijuana.

Authorities allege that Peoples was handcuffed but managed to break free and reach for firearms in the vehicle, which led officers to open fire. He was subsequently taken to UAB Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

However, the family has strongly contested this narrative. Their legal representatives, Birmingham attorney Leroy Maxwell and national civil rights attorney Ben Crump, assert that Peoples was unarmed and did not resist arrest. They believe the body cam footage, currently being withheld, is crucial for understanding what truly happened.

While Alabama law allows families of individuals who are killed in officer-involved shootings to request access to body camera and dashcam footage, it also gives law enforcement considerable discretion to deny such requests if they believe releasing the video could impact an ongoing investigation.

This is the stance that law enforcement has maintained thus far.

“Legally, the investigation is under the control of law enforcement, which governs access to evidence, including the footage. I realize this is a challenging time for everyone involved,” Wyatt noted.

In response, Maxwell acknowledged the limited authority regarding the video but insisted that Homewood could still release other related records concerning the shooting.

“While Homewood may not manage the video footage, it can disclose officers’ identities, incident reports, and armed reports, as stated in our petition,” Maxwell stated.

The petition, submitted to the Jefferson County Circuit Court, aims to preserve evidence and identify key individuals as the family pursues wrongful death and civil rights lawsuits. On Friday, Homewood asked the court to dismiss the petition, reiterating law enforcement’s control over investigative materials.

Maxwell and Crump plan to hold a press conference on Tuesday to discuss findings from an independent autopsy commissioned by the family.

“This isn’t merely a matter of policy; it’s about a grieving family seeking the truth,” Crump emphasized last week.