3 Cops Fired, 1 Suspended Over Repossession Shooting
Three Alabama police officers have been fired and a fourth has been suspended following the fatal shooting of a Black man on his property.
Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling announced his decision to terminate the unnamed officers during a press conference Thursday, according to AL.com.
The ruling comes weeks after an internal review, during which Decatur Police Chief Todd Pinion said he “found reason to believe that policies were violated” when officers shot and killed 39-year-old Stephen Perkins in his front yard on Sept. 29.
Bowling said the decision is effective immediately.
“It is incumbent on us as a city, as people who love Decatur, to work to move forward and to work to ensure that this tragedy is not forgotten or ignored,” he said, according to the outlet. “The City of Decatur will begin a top to bottom review of the policing policies, practices and ways to improve, including how we provide information to the public. Taking this important step is one way to improve, grow and in a certain sense, rebuild public trust.”
The single suspended officer “was found to be involved to a lesser degree,” Bowling clarified, WZDX-TV reported.
The names of the officers involved will be withheld barring their decision to appeal, he said.
