Homewood police said the fatal shooting of an armed Aliceville teen was captured on video and said arrangements are being made for Jabari Latrell Peoples’ family to watch the body camera footage.

The Wednesday statement comes after Peoples’ family publicly stated that the slain Aliceville 18-year-old was not armed, not aggressive and did not resist police.

Police say Peoples’ struggled with a Homewood officer, broke away, and retrieved a handgun from the open driver’s side door pocket of the vehicle he had been in, creating an immediate deadly threat to the officer.

“The sequence of events, resulting in the lost of life, is tragic and we empathize with Mr. Peoples’ family as they grieve,” the police statement reads.

Peoples died at UAB Hospital in Birmingham less than hour after police say he was armed and struggled with an officer who then shot him.

The shooting happened at 9:30 p.m. Monday at the Homewood Soccer Park in the 1800 block of South Lakeshore Drive near Columbiana Road.

According to the Wednesday police statement, there has been a recent increase in criminal activity in and around the city’s athletic complexes.

On Monday, a “veteran” officer observed a vehicle parked in the back corner of the Homewood Soccer Park.

The officer approached the vehicle in his marked police cruiser and saw two occupants sitting in the vehicle.

As the uniformed officer approached the vehicle, he smelled the odor of marijuana, the statement said.

The officer ordered both occupants out of the vehicle.

When the driver – now identified as Peoples – exited the vehicle, the officer observed a handgun in the door pocket of the open driver’s side door.

The officer then attempted to handcuff Peoples to arrest him for unlawful possession of marijuana, and possible other charges, police said, “at which point Mr. Peoples began to actively resist.”

“A physical struggle ensued, at which point the officer was knocked to the ground,” according to the statement.

“Mr. Peoples broke away from the officer and retrieved the handgun from the open driver’s side door pocket, creating an immediate deadly threat to the officer.”

The officer, fearing for his safety, fired one round from his service weapon to defend himself, in accordance with Alabama state law, police said.

“Mr. Peoples fell to the ground, still gripping the handgun in his right hand,” the statement read. “The officer gave multiple verbal commands for Mr. Peoples to let go of the handgun.”

The officer then called for emergency backup as the other vehicle occupant, who had fled into the woods, began approaching the officer.

The officer instructed the other occupant to sit on the curb while he removed the handgun from Peoples’ possession. Medics were then requested to respond to the scene.

According to police, backup officers arrived within one minute and thirty-six seconds after the officer’s request for assistance and immediately began rendering medical treatment to Peoples.

While emergency aid was being rendered, the officer who fired the shot secured the other occupant in the back of his marked Homewood police unit.

Peoples was then taken by Homewood medic to UAB Hospital, where he died.

“The details surrounding this incident are clearly captured on the officer’s body worn camera, of which ALEA took possession,” the statement read.

“Arrangements are being made to coordinate viewing of the video by Mr. Peoples’ family.”

Only ALEA is authorized by law to released the video, Homewood police said, adding that arrangements are being made for the family to view the video.

Efforts to reach Peoples’ family for comment have not been successful.

Peoples’ family issued a statement Tuesday on social media demanding public release of the full police report, all available body cam and dash cam footage, identification of the officer, and a full, independent investigation.

The family said a witness told them Peoples’ was approached by an individual in an unmarked vehicle, with no lights, no sirens, and no visible identification.

That officer exited the car, tapped on the window, and told the occupants to exit.

“They followed directions,” the statement read. “Jabari complied — and within seconds, he was taken to the ground and shot.”

“We will pursue this case until the truth is fully exposed, and justice is served,” according to the family’s statement posted on Facebook, “not only for Jabari, but for every family who’s been forced to bury a loved one without answers.”