"I Am Here to Tell the Truth": DA Concludes Use of Force in Jabari Peoples' Death Was Justified

Decision Not to Press Charges in Jabari Peoples Case

The Jefferson County District Attorney has decided not to press charges against a Homewood Police officer who shot and killed Jabari Peoples in June. District Attorney Danny Carr concluded that the shooting was justified based on the available evidence.

In a news release, Carr explained that body camera footage showed that Peoples had a gun in his right hand when the officer fired, resulting in his death. The family of Jabari Peoples viewed the footage at the Criminal Justice Center in downtown Birmingham on August 6. Initially, their request to see the video was denied by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA).

In a letter to the family’s attorney, the Director of the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation, Christopher Inabinett, stated that disclosure of the requested recording would affect the ongoing investigation. ALEA completed its investigation on August 1 and handed over its findings to Carr.

After reviewing the case file and the video, DA Carr determined that no charges would be filed, nor would the case be presented to a grand jury for consideration. Carr expressed his condolences to the family, stating, “It’s just an unfortunate situation, and as I told the family, I just think he was a good kid that made a terrible, terrible decision. I told them they have the right to be emotional, I’m not here to tell them how to respond, but I am here to give them the truth.”

Details from the Incident

According to the Homewood Police Department, the body-worn camera footage, along with other evidence, showed that the officer was attempting to detain Mr. Jabari Peoples due to marijuana found in his vehicle. The officer asked Mr. Peoples and the passenger to exit the vehicle and noticed a gun in the driver’s side between the seat and the door frame. The officer attempted to place handcuffs on Mr. Peoples for safety, but he resisted, leading to a tussle. Mr. Peoples then escaped from the officer's custody and ran back to the vehicle where he grabbed a gun from the driver’s side.

At the time of the shooting, Mr. Peoples had the gun in his right hand, and the officer fired one shot, hitting him in the left side of the back, causing fatal injuries.

Family and Legal Team Response

The Peoples family and their legal team held a press conference after viewing the video, expressing that they are left with more questions than answers. They are demanding that all footage be released to the public. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump claims that the four minutes of body camera video they were shown is not the full story and that they want independent verification that what Jabari was holding was indeed a gun.

Family attorneys mentioned that they were shown two videos: one short and unedited in real time, and another that was slowed down with added circling and words like “this is a gun.” Crump stated that after viewing the video, they concluded three things: that Jabari was shot in the back, that he was shot while running away, and that he never pointed anything at the officers.

Jabari’s sister, Angel Nicole Smith, shared her brother’s words during the press conference: “He was telling the officer ‘sir I promise, I’m not trying to resist, this is my cell phone, this is my phone.’”

Ongoing Legal Actions

DA Danny Carr mentioned that the 18-year-old had a gun in his hand, though he was unsure if it was a Glock 45 or if Peoples was the owner. Crump said they will pursue litigation to obtain the answers the family believes they deserve and that the family wants the city of Homewood to release all footage from the incident publicly.

Homewood Mayor Alex Wyatt released a statement addressing the decision by the District Attorney. He expressed sympathy for the Peoples’ family and urged the community to respect the District Attorney’s decision, which he said is based on the facts and the law.

Public Access to Video

The Homewood Police Department responded in a statement after being asked by WBRC whether they had plans to release the video. Citing Alabama law, the department stated that they may not release the body-worn camera footage to the public and that it may only be disclosed to certain parties.