Family Demands Answers After 18-Year-Old Jabari Peoples Fatally Shot by Alabama Officer While Autopsy Finds No Bullet or Exit Wound

The family of 18-year-old Jabari Peoples is demanding answers after an independent autopsy revealed that he was shot in the back by an Alabama police officer, but no exit wound or bullet was found in his body. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump called for the immediate release of the officer’s body camera footage from the June 23 incident in Homewood, Alabama. “Jabari represented the very best of what we had to offer and was doing everything right,” Crump said during a press conference.

Peoples, a college freshman majoring in computer information systems and criminal justice, was fatally shot after an encounter with a Homewood officer who reportedly approached his parked vehicle due to the smell of marijuana. The department claims that after a struggle, Peoples grabbed a handgun from the car, prompting the officer to shoot. “The officer gave multiple verbal commands for Mr. Peoples to let go of the handgun,” the department said. However, Peoples’ girlfriend told his family that he was unarmed and that the officer arrived in an unmarked vehicle with no lights or sirens.

“We buried our child on Saturday, just show us what happened to our child please,” said William Peoples, Jabari’s father, pleading for transparency. Crump emphasized that releasing the video is key to understanding what transpired and what happened to the bullet. “If the goal is transparency and justice, this is not hard logic, give us the evidence,” added Leroy Maxwell Jr., another attorney for the family.

The Homewood Police said the body camera footage was turned over to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), which is handling the investigation. ALEA, however, stated that releasing the footage could interfere with their inquiry, despite previously indicating that arrangements were being made for the family to view it.

The family also stated they were not contacted by police the night of the shooting, and an autopsy was conducted without their consent. Calls of “Show the video” erupted from the crowd during Tuesday’s news conference, as frustrations over the lack of transparency and communication continue to mount.

Link: NBCNews

If you’ve lost someone to fatal violence under police or while incarcerated, apply to our Autopsy Initiative for a free independent autopsy here:  https://www.knowyourrightscamp.org/autopsyinitiative