October 14th 2023.
The Decatur, Alabama police department has admitted to giving inaccurate information and an apology was released by Chief Todd Pinion. He said that their initial statement was released in haste and the description of the officer’s commands were inaccurate.
The incident occurred on September 29th, when a tow truck driver attempted to repossess the truck of homeowner Steve Perkins. The police department initially said officers ordered Perkins to drop his weapon and that he refused, but Chief Pinion now admits that officers simply identified themselves as “police” and ordered Perkins to “get on the ground.”
This statement has been disputed by the Perkins family attorney, Lee Merritt. He claims that officers didn’t announce their presence upon arrival and opened fire within a second of telling Perkins to get on the ground. Merritt also said the victim didn’t appear to be aware of police presence.
Video and audio from a neighbor’s surveillance camera has been obtained by WAFF 48 which shows an officer shouting “police, get on the ground” and shots fired almost immediately after. Neighbor Justin Shepherd believes this changes the whole story. He said “It broke my heart. The officers were running at him yelling, and within a second, he put his hands up, and they started firing.”
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency has opened an investigation into the shooting and protests in support of the family have been occurring daily. According to a statement from the family, Perkins’ truck payments were up to date so the truck shouldn’t have been towed.
It is clear that the Decatur Police Department has many questions to answer, and the family of Steve Perkins deserves justice.
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