According to reports, a Black father of two was allegedly killed by the police in what his family is calling an “ambush” while a towing company was mistakenly repossessing his truck in Alabama.
According to the Associated Press, 39-year-old Steve Perkins was shot and killed outside his home in Decatur, Alabama on the evening of September 29. The Decatur Police Department maintains that Perkins, who was black, had a gun and aimed it at officers before they opened fire. However, Perkins’ family disputes this claim and argues that he wasn’t given the opportunity to comply with police demands before he was killed.
Perkins’ family has set up a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to support him. The fundraiser, which has been set up by Brenton Lipscomb on behalf of Perkins’ wife, describes him as “innocent” and highlights his fear of being killed by the police as a Black man. The campaign has garnered nearly $60,000 in donations so far.
The surveillance camera footage of the incident, which was shared by WAFF, shows Perkins approaching the tow truck driver and demanding his truck back by saying “Hey, give me my truck back!” However, before he could even finish his sentence, police officers can be heard shouting “Hey, hey, police! Get on the ground!” and firing off several rounds in less than a second. The video captures the intensity of the situation and highlights the split-second decision-making that law enforcement officers often face in high-pressure scenarios.
According to Lipscomb, who has been speaking on behalf of the family, the video shows that there was no delay between the officer’s final command to “ground” and the sound of gunshots. The footage suggests that the victim was ambushed without any knowledge of who was in his yard. As reported by NBC News on Monday, the family is deeply concerned about the circumstances surrounding the incident.
According to Lipscomb, “Even though they were in uniform, it was a very dimly lit neighborhood. The police cars were not parked in front of the house, rather, they were concealed in the yards of nearby houses and around the perimeter of the house.”
According to Lee Merritt, the attorney representing the Perkins family, the video clearly depicts that the police did not announce their presence beforehand. It seems that Perkins was completely unaware of their presence at the time.
According to Merritt, there was a sudden commotion as the individuals in question jumped up and yelled “Pow”. He criticized the practice of law enforcement officials not announcing themselves and stealthily entering private properties. While officials justify this as a means of protecting themselves from potential ambushes, Merritt argued that in this particular case, it was an ambush on the innocent residents.
According to NBC News, Perkins’ family has stated that although he had fallen behind on his truck payments, it had not yet been repossessed. On the day of his untimely death, a repo man had visited his house but was denied access. Unfortunately, the repo man returned later, this time with police accompaniment.
According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (AELA), the repo man stated that Perkins threatened him with a gun during his initial attempt to repossess the vehicle. As a result, the repo man contacted the police. When Perkins was killed, he had a gun with a flashlight attached to it, which he allegedly pointed at the police before being shot. These details were reported by WAFF, citing AELA as their source.
According to NBC News, AELA has pledged to conduct “a comprehensive and systematic investigation” into the incident.
Many people attended a vigil for Perkins on October 6th, as seen in a tweet by xo_btibbsssss.
