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

Decision to Not Press Charges in Jabari Peoples Case

In a recent development, the Jefferson County District Attorney has decided not to press charges against a Homewood Police officer who shot and killed Jabari Peoples in June. The decision was made after a thorough review of the available evidence, including body camera footage.

District Attorney Danny Carr stated that the shooting was justified based on the body camera footage. According to his statement, the footage showed that Jabari Peoples had a gun in his right hand when the officer fired, resulting in his death. This conclusion was reached after an extensive investigation by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), which completed its findings on August 1.

The Peoples family had initially requested access to the video, but their request was denied by ALEA. In a letter to the family’s attorney, the Director of the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation, Christopher Inabinett, mentioned that the disclosure of the recording would affect the ongoing investigation. However, after ALEA completed its investigation, the findings were turned over to DA Carr, who then reviewed the case file and the video before making his decision.

DA Carr expressed his condolences to the family, acknowledging the tragic nature of the incident. He described Jabari as a “good kid” who made a “terrible decision.” While he recognized the family's emotional response, he emphasized his commitment to providing them with the truth.

Homewood Police provided their account of the incident, stating that the officer was attempting to detain Mr. Peoples due to the presence of marijuana in his vehicle. The officer noticed a gun in the driver’s side of the vehicle and tried to place handcuffs on Mr. Peoples for safety. During this encounter, Mr. Peoples resisted and managed to escape, eventually grabbing a gun from the vehicle.

According to the police release, 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, which led to his death.

Despite the DA's decision, the Peoples family and their legal team remain unsatisfied. They claim that the two videos they were shown during their viewing at the Criminal Justice Center do not tell the full story. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump argues that the four minutes of body camera footage is incomplete and that they want independent verification of what Jabari was holding.

During a press conference, Crump and the family raised several concerns. They concluded that Jabari was shot in the back while running away and never pointed anything at the officers. Angel Nicole Smith, Jabari’s sister, shared her brother's words during the encounter, where he claimed he was trying to show the officer that he was holding a cell phone, not a weapon.

While DA Carr confirmed that Jabari had a gun in his hand, he could not be certain if it was a Glock 45 or if it belonged to Mr. Peoples. The family and their legal team are now planning to move forward with litigation to seek more answers and demand the city of Homewood to release all footage from the incident publicly.

Homewood Mayor Alex Wyatt released a statement expressing empathy for the Peoples family and urging the community to respect the DA’s decision, which he said was based on facts and the law.

The Homewood Police Department responded to inquiries about releasing the video, citing Alabama law. They stated that the body-worn camera footage may not be released to the public and can only be viewed by specific parties.

As the situation continues to unfold, the community remains divided, with many calling for transparency and accountability in the wake of this tragic event.