Release of video footage of the fatal shooting of an Alabama teen by Homewood police would jeopardize the investigation, state officials said Tuesday.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency released a statement to AL.com that said the agency received a request from the family of 18-year-old Jabari Peoples on Monday for disclosure of body camera and/or dash cam footage from the June 23 deadly shooting.

ALEA has a process by which an individual (or their personal representative) who is the subject of a law enforcement recording may request disclosure of body camera or dash camera video evidence, spokeswoman Amanda Wasden said. ALEA is the custodial law enforcement agency of those videos.

Wasden cited Alabama Code section 36-21-213 which states, “a custodial law enforcement agency may choose not to disclose the recording if the disclosure would affect an ongoing active law enforcement investigation or prosecution.”

ALEA reviewed the request, Wasden said, and determined disclosure of the requested recording would affect the ongoing investigation.

“Therefore, in accordance with state law and in the interest of protecting the constitutional rights of everyone involved, as well as prioritizing a thorough law enforcement investigation of the recorded subject matter, ALEA respectfully declined to make the requested disclosure,” according to the statement.

Wasden did not say if there was any timeline for future release of the footage.

Read full coverage of the case here

The family’s lead attorney, Leroy Maxwell, said he would respond to ALEA’s statement later today.

Peoples, a 2024 graduate of Aliceville High School where he was a standout athlete, was shot June 23 in Homewood Soccer Park.

Homewood police say a veteran officer, who has not been publicly identified, approached the vehicle to investigate because of a recent increase in criminal activity in and around the city’s athletic complexes.

The officer, police say, smelled marijuana and ordered Peoples and his female friend out of the vehicle. The encounter ended with Peoples resisting, breaking away from the officer as he tried to handcuff him, and grabbing a gun from the driver’s side door pocket, police say.

The officer fired on Peoples, who was pronounced dead a short time later at UAB Hospital.

Peoples’ family and Maxwell disagree with that narrative, saying that Peoples wasn’t armed and didn’t resist.

Maxwell on Monday said Peoples was shot once in the back and is demanding ALEA release any footage of the shooting.

Maxwell has previously said the request for any footage of the fatal shooting was made to ALEA last week and denied.

“They deserve to see, with their own eyes, what happened in Jabari’s final moments,” Maxwell said Monday. “The public deserves transparency. Jabari’s family deserves justice. And justice begins with the truth.”

More than 200 people gathered at the park Monday night, a shrine set up in the parking space where Peoples was killed one week before.

Family, community activists, Peoples’ former coach and pastors spoke at the event. They prayed, chanted, and released doves and balloons in Peoples’ honor.

At the vigil, Peoples was described as a giver and a dreamer.

“Nobody knows him better than me,” Bron Peoples said. “We played on the same sports team. We walked the same halls at school. We graduated a year apart.”

“To see his character bashed, seeing him get talked about, is nothing other than insane to me,” his brother said. “He was so smart. He was a real dreamer. He wrote down his dreams. He took notes and wrote about what he wanted to do. He had a plan for his life. He didn’t walk blindly.”

“He was nothing less than inspirational,” Bron Peoples said. “I stand here firm today, appreciative of all the support and all the people that have our backs. We’re just calling for justice for my brother. That’s all I want.”