ALICEVILLE, Ala. (WIAT) — Aliceville Mayor Terrence E. Windham has joined the mounting calls for the release of bodycam footage in the deadly shooting of Jabari Peoples by Homewood police.
Peoples, an 18-year-old from Aliceville, was shot and killed by a Homewood police officer around 9:30 p.m. Monday in the parking lot of the Homewood Soccer Complex.
“In the interest of transparency, accountability, and the public’s right to know, I respectfully urge your administration to release all available footage related to this case – including any body-worn camera recordings, surveillance video, and dispatch audio,” Windham wrote in a letter addressed to ALEA and Homewood Mayor Alex Wyatt.
Homewood police, who released additional details in the shooting Tuesday afternoon, claims an officer saw the vehicle Peoples was in parked at the complex and allegedly smelled marijuana as he approached the car. The officer, who has not been identified, then ordered Peoples and another occupant out of the car. As Peoples exited the car, the officer noted a gun in the car.
At that point, Homewood police said the officer attempted arrest Peoples for marijuana possession and Peoples resisted. During the struggle, police said the officer was knocked to the ground and Peoples retrieved the gun from the driver’s side door. The officer then fired on Peoples.
Peoples was taken to UAB Hospital, where the 18-year-old was pronounced dead.
Police said arrangements for the body camera footage, which is in possession of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, are being made to for Peoples’ family to see.
However, Jabari Peoples’ cousin Deandra Peoples, who is speaking on behalf of the Peoples family, said they have spoken with the person who was in the car with Peoples on Monday night. The story the family heard is different from what police said.
“Jabari and the young lady they were out at the park,” Deandra Peoples said. “They were not aware an officer had pulled up. The officer did not have any lights on. He tapped on the window and asked him ‘Little boy, what are you doing here?’ From what we are told, the young lady said he was cooperating, doing everything the officer asked him to do. So what led up to an altercation or saying a gun was drawn is farfetched.”
Leroy Maxwell, the attorney the Peoples family obtained in connection to the fatal shooting, released a statement Wednesday.
“In the pursuit of truth and justice, we are demanding the immediate release of unedited body camera footage related to this incident,” Maxwell stated. “Homewood doesn’t need several weeks or months to prepare for the blow back. Release the footage now and take accountability. Every second the footage is not released creates more distrust in law enforcement.”
Windham’s letter can be read in full below:
Dear Mayor Wyatt and ALEA,
As the Mayor of Aliceville, Alabama, I write to you today on behalf of my constituents and in solidarity with concerned citizens across the state following the tragic shooting death of Mr. Jabari Peoples in Homewood this past weekend.
Mr. Peoples, a young Black man, was reportedly gunned down while spending time peacefully at a park with a friend. His death has sent shockwaves through our communities and raised serious concerns about the circumstances surrounding the incident.
In the interest of transparency, accountability, and the public’s right to know, I respectfully urge your administration to release all available footage related to this case – including any body-cam worn camera recordings, surveillance video, and dispatch audio. Making this information public is a critical step toward ensuring trust in the investigative process and demonstrating a commitment to justice and equal protection under the law.
This moment calls for clarity and compassion. The people of Alabama deserve both. I trust that your office will handle this situation with the transparency and leadership it demands.
Sincerely
Mayor Windham
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