The brother of an Alabama teen fatally shot by Homewood police at a city soccer park said their parents drilled them when they were younger, teaching them how to respond when approached or confronted by police.

“We grew up watching this on TV,” Bron Peoples said before a crowd of hundreds Monday night at Homewood Soccer Park. “We had to get drills from our parents on how to conduct ourselves.”

Jabari Peoples, 18, was killed June 23.

“I know he knows how to handle himself in those situations,” the grieving brother said through tears. “I know him and I know the truth hasn’t come out.”

“The truth has to come out. We need it,” he said. “We’ve got to stand together to make a change.”

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

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

The slain teen was remembered as kind, giving, and as an inspiration.

“He has given more in 18 years than most of you have done in 50 years,” said The Rev. Herman Peters of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church. “I’m sad at what happened and how it happened, but I rejoice because an apple only if it’s ripe can fall from the tree.”

“It was in God’s plan,” Peters said, “although we don’t understand it.”

Read full coverage of the case here.

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

Maxwell earlier Monday said Peoples was shot once in the back and is demand the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency release any footage of the shooting.

ALEA has not responded to a request for comment on a possible timeline of release of any video of the incident.

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 a part.”

“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.”

Peoples was a 2024 graduate of Aliceville High School who worked as a security guard at DCH Regional Medical Center and had hopes of working in law enforcement.

He was a cornerback on the football team that won a regional championship, and a state track champion in the 4×4 relay.

“I’m not here to paint a picture to the media or anybody of how good of a person he was,” said Grady Griffin,” the athletic director and football coach at Aliceville High School. “I think you can look around and see by the numbers what he meant to everyone and how good of a person he was.”

Griffin said Peoples in the classroom was everything a teacher could ask for – smart, disciplined, punctual and giving.

“He was in a select few that was still checking out books from the library,” Griffin said. “That’s something we always laughed about and cherished because that guy was going to read and keep a book.”

In athletics, Griffin said, Peoples was a team player and dedicated.

“For us, he was quiet,” Griffin said. “You wouldn’t know Jabari was in the room unless he talked to you. When he talked, he had a distinctive, deep voice, followed by humor. His jokes made us love him a little bit more.”

“So, to the family,” Griffin said, “it was an honor and a privilege from me to love your son, your nephew, cousin, teammate, friend. He was a joy. He made me a better person. He made me a better coach.”

Birmingham community activist Star Robb also spoke at the vigil, saying she is always ready to speak on behalf of the community and those who are wrongly and unjustly shot and killed.

“That was a lynching y’all. I want everybody to understand and realize truly what happened to Jabari,” Robb said. “That was a state-sanctioned lynching that happened last Monday at this park and won’t stand for the lies.”

“He was minding his own business,” Robb said. “Even if they did smell weed, when has weed become a death sentence? It’s legal in most states around the country.”

Robb said the community is demanding justice from Homewood city leaders, Homewood city councilors, the Homewood mayor and specifically from Homewood police department.

“They’re hiding stuff y’all,” Robb said. “And Homewood, I’m calling on white people right now. I’m talking to y’all.”

“It’s up to y’all to do what you need to do in your city to demand justice,” from state and local leaders. “The people who aren’t saying anything about what happened here in Homewood, you need to vote them out. Y’all have got a job to do come August.”

Kristen Gochett, an attorney with the law firm representing Peoples’ family, said they’ve had boots on the ground trying to figure out what happened.

“We know what happened Jabari and now we’re asking for accountability, we’re asking for justice,” Gochett said. “We’re asking to give this family a peace of mind in holding the person who is responsible for Jabari’s death accountable.”