Family of the people of Jabari who is still waiting to see images of camera from the police body after a deadly Homewood shooting

Birmingham, ala. (WBRC) – Three days after Jabari Peoples, 18, was shot dead by Homewood policeHis family says they are still waiting for a phone call – and the truth.

According to the family lawyer, Leroy Maxwell Jr., the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (Alea), who is now investigating, has not yet given access to the images of this night’s police camera.

Although the Alabama law gives families the right to see the images of body cam in cases involving a deadly force, it does not clearly specify when – or how much – they have the right to see. The lack of transparency has left the family more questions than answers.

Maxwell says the family’s requests to see the images have met with silence.

“It is not logical to know why we do not get the answers we deserve from the police. More specifically from Alabama Law Enfing Agency,” said Maxwell. “The family deserves to see the video. Give us a calendar when we can see the video and stop the charade and deceive the public to give the impression that you work with us. We are here, we are available, they know how to find us. Allow us to see these images.”

In a statement published earlier this week, the Homewood police service said that arrangements were taken to coordinate video visualization. But Maxwell insists that there was little or no real communication with the family. In his words, what is publicly represented is a “masquerade”.

The family pain started long before the video issue occurred. According to Maxwell, Jabari’s parents did not even inform that their son had died until more than 12 hours after the shooting – and only after seeing a media coverage on a deadly shooting involving police in Homewood.

“The father was watching television and saw that a young man had been shot in Homewood,” recalls Maxwell. “And he thought,” Unhappy boy, he’s a sad thing. He didn’t know they were talking about his own son. »»

As the family learned what had happened, Maxwell says that an autopsy had already been done – and no one had set out to ask them to identify Jabari’s body.

“I would say it’s completely inappropriate,” said Maxwell. “It is completely atypical that a victim like this is killed, to be killed, and his closest to the parents is not even invited to come and identify the body. His mother, his father – they did not identify him until he was made an autopsy or before he was transferred to a funeral lounge. They didn’t see it at all. ”

Despite what the law allows, the family has not yet seen the video of the body camera. Maxwell says they did everything Alea asked them to speed up the process.

“We have done everything possible and all that we have asked us to see these images now, to see it immediately,” he said. “And they won’t even make us the consideration to give us a calendar when we can watch the video.”

While the investigation continues, questions remain on what happened during the meeting between Jabari and the Homewood officer. Police said the officer had approached the vehicle after pretending to feel marijuana. Maxwell says that even if marijuana was found, she should never have turned into a deadly shooting.

“All these things can be true, but that does not lead to death,” said Maxwell. “If you do something like that, it’s a good one. If he was a young white man, in a baseball t-shirt or something that is fired by officers, I think he is probably still alive today.”

Jabari’s girlfriend, who was in the car with him that night, told the family that Jabari had never had a weapon and did not resist arrest – contradicts the police report directly.

“If this video shows what we think it will show,” said Maxwell, “then Homewood and the police must be ready to take it into account.”

From this article, Alea said that she would not publish any additional information at the moment. The Homewood Police Service did not respond to additional comments.

What is the autopsy process in Jefferson County?

6 of your side studies continue to dig for responses to the death notification policy. What did the law of the State say on the notification of the next parents and the appropriate stages been followed in the death of the peoples of Jabari?

We still do not know why the family of people says that it took so long for them to be informed.

The Coroner’s office of Jefferson County tells WBRC any type of death, whether it is a police shooting, a drug overdose or a wreck, rarely has no impact when an autopsy is made. As a rule, the examination or autopsy will be carried out within 24 hours of a death, according to the chief coroner of the county of Jefferson, Bill Yates. Yates says that, depending on the hour at which they assume the competence in a case and get a body in their establishment, an exam can occur in one to one to two hours or the next day. Yates says that they carry out these exams on day shift, 365 days a year, including weekends and holidays.

When it comes to having the consent of a familyYates said:

“There is no legal requirement for our office to request authorization from the closest to take care of an organization, suppose competence or perform a post-mortem examination. The types of cases that we are authorized to take care are determined by the same local law of the county of Jefferson in 197. ”

What is the deadline for performing an exam or an autopsy? Here is what Yates told us:

“The type of death (drowning, drug overdose, widen of motor vehicles, police shooting, etc.) rarely has an impact when a post-mortem examination is carried out. As a rule, the examination or autopsy will be carried out within 24 hours of death. Post-mortem exams on the lag towards day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, including weekends and holidays. »»

About who informs families?

“There is no legal requirement according to which only one entity is responsible for the next notification of parents. That said, it benefits our office if we make sure it happens. Our staff is required to coordinate the next notification of the parents, ensuring that they are finished in a reasonable manner. This coordination could include the assistance of other agencies if a family outside the county of Jefferson or other entities, in a better position than us, acquires family contact information. etc. The key is that, whatever the resources used, we ensure that it is carried out. »»

Because of these questions, Yates said that he will update information on their website to better explain the typical process of how they are doing their job.

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