Irondale police officers did not use a knee to the back of the neck to subdue a 52-year-old man who died last year during an altercation with officers, city officials said Monday afternoon.

The city’s statement was in response to a press conference held earlier in the day during which family members of Phillip David Reed and their attorneys likened his in-custody death to that of George Floyd. They called for accountability, transparency and officer arrests.

“The City of Irondale and the Irondale Police Department do not agree with the characterization of events by Ms. Sandra Reeder regarding the death of Phillip Reeder,” the statement read.

“The force used against Mr. Reeder was only the force necessary and proportional to the need to prevent his running wildly back and forth on a busy road endangering himself and others,” according to the statement.

Reeder, a Shelby County husband, father, grandfather and business owner, died August 6, 2024.

The ordeal began when police received a 911 call about a man – later identified as Reeder – running in and out of traffic on an Irondale roadway,

Irondale police officers were dispatched at 5:10 a.m. that Tuesday on several 911 calls reporting the man’s behavior on Highway 78 near Old Leeds Road.

Officers at the time said they found Reeder who appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance and/or behaving erratically.

Officers rendered first aid on the scene until paramedics arrived. Reeder was taken to St. Vincent’s East where he was pronounced dead at 6:34 a.m.

Reeder’s wife on Monday said she and other family members were allowed to watch police footage on Friday, 11 months after his death.

“After being Tased by the Irondale Police Department, subdued, handcuffed with his hands behind his back, face down, one officer’s knee is on Phillip’s neck for about three minutes while another police officer had one Phillip’s legs upwards,” Sandra Reeder said. “Phillip is heard clearly, not once, not twice but three times saying, ‘I can’t breathe.’”

Irondale city officials said in the statement that they facilitated the viewing of the body camera footage for Reeder’s family and chronicled the events of that morning.

It was 5:10 a.m. when Irondale 911 received several calls regarding a white male running in and out of traffic on Highway 78 near Old Leeds Road. Officers were dispatched to the area and found Reeder, who they said appeared to be under the influence and behaving erratically.

“Despite multiple commands to comply, Mr. Reeder continued running in the road and shouting,” the statement said. “As Mr. Reeder posed a danger to himself and others, a Taser was deployed to bring Mr. Reeder to the ground and assist officers with detaining Mr. Reeder.”

“Even after deployment of the Taser, Mr. Reeder continued to resist and would not follow commands of the officers,’’ according to the statement.

Once handcuffed, city officials said, Reeder continued to struggle and resist for almost two minutes.

“Officers did hold Mr. Reeder to the ground using their arms only,’’ according to the statement. “No knee was placed in the back of his neck and no excessive force was used.”

Reeder stopped resisting, city officials said, and the officers realized that he had stopped breathing. They immediately Turned him over, checked for a pulse and began CPR until the paramedics arrived.

According to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, Reeder died of hypertensive heart disease associated with cocaine and restraint during altercation. His death was ruled a homicide, which means he died at the hands of another.

The Jefferson County District Attorney reviewed Reeder’s death, prosecutors said Monday. The D.A.’s office did not find probable cause for criminal charges.

“ALEA conducted an independent investigation of the incident and found no wrongdoing by the Irondale police officers,” according to the statement. “The City of Irondale and the Irondale Police Department support our police officers and do not believe they did anything wrong as to Phillip Reeder.”