Montgomery, Alabama — Following over a year of community outcry in a small northern Alabama city concerning the lethal police shooting of a Black man outside his residence, a long-awaited and redacted investigation conducted by an independent third party has revealed that the Decatur Police Department frequently engaged in improper arrests and inadequately addressed civilian complaints.
The comprehensive 43-page report unveiled on Thursday highlights that Decatur police officers “often” inappropriately charged individuals with disorderly conduct and obstructing governmental operations, while neglecting to carry out thorough investigations regarding complaints from the public, including those related to the use of force.
The findings emphasize, “There are significant areas that require attention. The commendable instances of compassionate and empathetic behavior by DPD officers are sometimes overshadowed by occurrences of unprofessionalism or lack of empathy.”
Decatur, located approximately 30 miles from Huntsville, Alabama, has a population of around 60,000 residents, as per the U.S. Census Bureau.
The report outlines multiple instances where police officers “improperly” detained individuals for disorderly conduct, noting discrepancies between the officers’ accounts in arrest reports and the actual events captured on body camera footage. On other occasions, arrests were made merely for the use of profane language.
“DPD should provide additional training to sworn personnel regarding free speech to ensure that citizens’ rights are not infringed upon,” the report advises.
The Decatur City Council made a unanimous decision to commission Green Research and Technology for an independent review of the police department following the fatal incident involving a Black man in 2023, which triggered persistent protests throughout the city.
The investigation encompassed a review of citizen complaints spanning two years, more than 300 hours of body camera footage, and over 100 interviews with community members as well as police personnel.
However, the report suggests that the third-party investigation faced limitations due to a disorganized system for managing civilian complaints. It indicated that when internal investigations were carried out, various policy violations were “rarely documented,” such as improper treatment of detainees and failure to activate body cameras.
Additionally, the investigation noted that some footage was misfiled or deleted, hampering the effort to adequately examine all community complaints.
Decatur Police Chief Todd Pinion defended his department during a press conference shortly after he reviewed the redacted report for the first time. He acknowledged that there were instances where better decisions could have been made but maintained that these occurrences were isolated and did not reflect the overall conduct of the department or its officers.
Pinion emphasized that the specific problematic charges highlighted in the report were a minor portion of the total charges filed by his department in the previous year. He expressed openness to further training for his officers and would consider the recommendations outlined in the report.
The city attorney clarified that all specific references to police incidents in the report had been redacted to safeguard the city’s interests along with personal interests.
On September 29, 2023, Steve Perkins was shot and killed by Decatur police while officers were present to assist a tow truck driver in repossessing Perkins’ vehicle. Former officer Mac Bailey Marquette faces murder charges and is scheduled to stand trial in April.
As tensions escalated between law enforcement and demonstrators in the small city’s streets and at charged city council meetings, the report stated that officers appeared overwhelmed and fatigued. Body camera footage reportedly showed police antagonizing and arresting protesters, thus missing opportunities for legitimate engagement.
Video captured from a neighbor’s surveillance camera aired by local news showed the fatal incident, with an officer instructing Perkins to get on the ground, quickly followed by rapid gunfire. Police have not made the body camera footage of this encounter publicly available.
Initially, the police maintained that Perkins had confronted them with a firearm and ignored commands to drop it; later statements retracted this claim, stating no such directive was given. Protesters contended that Marquette did not allow Perkins sufficient time to comply.
Attorneys representing Marquette argued that he discharged his weapon as Perkins emerged from his home and rapidly approached the tow truck while aiming a gun with a flashlight accessory at the driver. Their written request for an immunity hearing earlier this January outlined their claims.
Marquette’s defense stated that his actions were justified under the “stand your ground” law as recognized by recent Alabama appellate court decisions.
In response to the motion, Alabama Circuit Judge Charles Elliot is set to hold a hearing on March 25.
