Alabama NAACP demands police retraining after Stephen Perkinsâ death: âWe have too many trigger-happy .. officersâ
All Alabama law enforcement officers in the state of Alabama should go through a revised use of force schooling training in the aftermath of a fatal shooting by Decatur police, the state NAACP said Saturday.
Will Woodruff, Alabama State Conference of the NAACP second vice president, addressed the crowd gathered in front of the Decatur City Hall protesting the police shooting of Stephen Perkins in his front yard two weeks ago, delivering a message on behalf of conference president Benard Simelton.
“The NAACP is calling for a change in the use of deadly force policies, and the Decatur police officers and all law enforcement officers in the state of Alabama go through the revised use of force school,” Woodruff said.
“There is no reason that 18 shots should have been fired,” Woodruff told the crowd.
“As a matter of fact, based on the evidence it’s seen so far no shot should have been,” he added. “We have too many trigger-happy individuals serving in law enforcement as officers.”
Protests have been going on daily for the past two weeks after a Decatur police officer shot and killed Perkins, with calls for releasing the police camera footage of the incident and the firing of the officer who shot him.
The police said Perkins had threatened a tow truck driver who came to repossess his vehicle with a gun, but the family said the tow truck driver should not have been there because Perkins was up to date in his payment based on receipts they found.
According to the initial police report, Perkins turned his weapon on an officer and refused to comply before the shooting in the early hours of Sept. 29.
Police chief Todd Pinion said that statement was erroneous in a release Wednesday, noting that the department “provided inaccurate information about the interaction between Mr. Perkins and the officer.”
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is investigating the case, and the Alabama NAACP today joined the call for the release of the body camera footage so that the family and the community can get the complete picture of what happened that day.
Woodruff linked the police chief’s correction to the availability of the home camera footage.
“We encourage people to capture video of incidents like this so that we will not have to rely on law enforcement,” Woodruff said. “If those videos had not been captured on video, the Decatur Police Department probably would have not issued its correction on his statement.”
“We are also calling for justice in this case and the basis on the evidence that has been released by the video cameras,” he added. “It is clear that Mr. Perkins’ death could have and should have been avoided and those responsible should be prosecuted.”
Zoie Roberson, assistant chair of the Madison County Democratic party youth caucus, said those angry at Perkin’s death should channel it to the ballot box.
“There are people waiting on all of this to eventually end,” she said. “Well, I say do not give in to their satisfaction. Do not grow tired. Do not grow weary and let your voice be heard through your vote.”
“Be upset, be sad and channel all of those emotions through your vote and don’t let them die,” she said.
“Do not let them fade away at election season because there are people waiting on the anger to blow over.”