Attorneys representing the family of 18-year-old Jabari Peoples, who was fatally shot by an Alabama police officer in June, stated that an independent autopsy revealed the teenager had been shot in the back. The incident occurred in the parking lot of a soccer field in the Birmingham suburb of Homewood. The officer involved has not been identified, and police body camera footage has not been released.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the family, shared that a private medical examiner determined the teen was shot in the back without an exit wound. However, the lack of conclusive evidence due to the absence of the bullet and body camera footage has left the family seeking answers.
While police claim the shooting occurred when Peoples reached for a gun during a scuffle after the officer detected marijuana, a friend of Peoples present at the scene disputed this account, stating that Peoples did not possess a gun.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency has not released the body camera footage, citing an ongoing investigation and the provisions of a state law governing the release of police recordings. Homewood Mayor Alex Wyatt has called for the footage’s release but has stated he lacks the authority to do so.
The family’s legal team criticized the mayor for not taking action, asserting that he could view the footage and share his observations or release official police reports detailing the events preceding the shooting. Jabari’s father, William Peoples, pleaded at a news conference for transparency, requesting closure and answers regarding the tragic loss of their child.
