Family of Jabari Peoples Seeks Full Body Cam Release After Viewing Edited Clip

Calls for Full Transparency in the Death of Jabari Peoples

The family of Jabari Peoples, an 18-year-old from Homewood, Alabama, is demanding full access to all body camera footage from the night he was shot and killed by a local police officer. The incident occurred during an encounter on June 6, and the family has been seeking clarity about the events that led to his death.

On Wednesday, August 6, the family had the opportunity to view a four-minute portion of the video. However, their legal team expressed concerns that the footage appeared to be edited and did not provide the complete context of what happened. Leroy Maxwell, one of the family’s attorneys, stated, “This is just a step. But why they would provide us today with a clearly edited video, a clip of what happened, makes no sense to me.”

Shortly after the video was shown, Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr announced that his office would not file any charges against the officer involved. The officer's identity has not been disclosed. Carr explained that based on the footage and the law, the shooting was deemed justifiable, and his office’s role was complete. He added, “It’s just a good kid that made a bad decision.”

According to police reports, the officer approached Jabari Peoples on suspicion of marijuana use. This detail has not been disputed by the family. However, the family continues to challenge claims that Peoples was armed. A witness described as Peoples’ girlfriend told the family that he did not have a gun at the time of the encounter.

Carr, however, claimed that the body camera footage suggests otherwise. He stated, “A struggle ensued and during that struggle, Jabari was able to get away. And Jabari ran towards the driver’s door, grabbed a weapon and then when he grabbed a weapon, he was shot.”

Ben Crump, another attorney representing the family, said that what has been seen so far raises many unanswered questions. He believes there is more footage and evidence from that night that has not been released. “There was a struggle that they were on the ground,” Crump said. “We don’t know what precipitated that struggle. We don’t know what was said, and the family feels they have a right to know everything that happened that led up to him being shot in his back.”

With the district attorney’s investigation now closed, the City of Homewood has received all case evidence from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. “And we want all of that to be released,” Crump said.

Despite these demands, the Homewood Police Department has stated that it will not release any of the video to the public. The department cited state law, which allows only certain individuals to view police video footage, including those who appear in the footage, their legal representatives, or representatives of someone who died in the incident. Only relevant portions may be shown to those individuals.

Homewood Mayor Alex Wyatt released a statement expressing sympathy for the Peoples family. “We can’t imagine the anguish of the Peoples family in the aftermath of this tragic event,” Wyatt said. “And hope the community will respect the district attorney’s decision, which he says is based on the facts and the law.”

The Peoples family remains steadfast in its demand for full access to all available video and evidence as they seek answers about what happened the night their son was killed. They continue to call for transparency and accountability in the wake of this tragic event.