Perkins, dying and handcuffed: 'I can't breathe'

Mar. 28—An apparent Alabama Law Enforcement Agency video presentation describing the shooting of Steve Perkins by former Decatur police officer Mac Marquette was published by conservative news outlet 1819 News on Wednesday and shows officers, after Marquette fired 18 rounds, cuff Perkins' hands behind his back as he begs for an ambulance and tells them: "I can't breathe."

The video claims Perkins aimed a pistol equipped with a light at Marquette just before shots rang out. It includes portions of bodycam video from officers or former officers Marquette, Christopher Mukkadam and Joey Williams. A fourth officer who, along with the others, was disciplined by the city for his role in Perkins' death was not shown: Vance Summers.

The presentation also includes a recording of Allstar Recovery's Caleb Combs' phone call with Decatur police dispatch and two drone photos of the street, taken in daytime, marking the positions of Marquette, Mukkadam and Williams during the shooting.

"This is a critical incident investigation summary video pertaining to audio/video evidence related to this use of force investigation," the video opens, complete with ALEA's logo in the upper left corner.

As a tow truck backs into Perkins' driveway at 3931 Ryan Drive Southwest, bodycam footage (and ALEA's own description) shows that Marquette and Williams were concealed behind Perkins' garage while Mukkadam took cover in an across-the-street neighbor's driveway.

Viewing Perkins' house from the street, his front door is recessed with the garage protruding on the left side of the home's facade. At the time of the shooting, Perkins' white pickup truck was parked just in front of the garage door facing the street.

A freeze frame of Perkins just before he's shot, from Mukkadam's vantage point, is accompanied by a graphical overlay with captions. Perkins' light illuminates the garage door, just behind and above his truck's bed, as he is illuminated by Marquette's light.

"(It) Appears Perkins' left hand is in the area of the pistol in his right hand," a caption reads.

Another freeze frame, from Williams' vantage point, shows Marquette aiming a pistol over the bed of Perkins' truck. The timestamp is 1:49:06; Williams' bodycam appears to be two seconds ahead of the other officers'. Marquette's arms are circled in red in the presentation.

"Officer Marquette's face and forearms are lit by Perkins' pistol light beam," a caption reads.

A portion of Marquette's bodycam video that begins approximately 38 seconds before Perkins is shot opens with Marquette standing behind the passenger's side of Perkins' truck. A repo agent begins connecting Perkins' truck to a tow truck.

At 1:48:53 a.m., Mukkadam radios: "595 to 73, you got one coming to the door."

At 1:49:02 a.m., Perkins says, "Hey, put my truck down."

At 1:49:04 a.m., Marquette yells, "Hey, hey! Police! Get the ground!"

Bodycam shows Marquette takes cover behind the bed of Perkins' truck and aims his firearm in the direction of Perkins.

The first shot rings out at 1:49:05 a.m., and Marquette continues firing. Video from Mukkadam's bodycam shows that Perkins falls to the ground with the first shot.

After Marquette fires nine to 10 times from behind cover, he then leaves cover and begins walking toward Perkins, who is facedown on the ground, and continues firing until his magazine is empty. A total of 18 shots are fired.

Meanwhile, Williams rushes past the passengers' side of the two vehicles in the driveway and approaches Perkins from the street.

Mukkadam crosses the street toward Perkins and tells Marquette: "I got him covered."

Perkins says "help" several times.

"Drop the gun!" Marquette yells three times to an incapacitated Perkins. "We need an ambulance ASAP."

At the same time, Mukkadam says: "There's the gun right there."

At 1:49:32 a.m., Williams says, "I got medical," and begins running up the street.

"Alright, let me reload," Marquette tells Mukkadam. "Cover me."

"I got you," Mukkadam says. "Keep your hands up," he tells Perkins.

"I'm trying to," Perkins responds. "Help. Call an ambulance."

"We're calling an ambulance, man," Marquette tells him. Marquette and Mukkadam then begin trying to pull Perkins' arms behind his back to handcuff him. Perkins' white shirt is red with blood.

"It's hard to breathe," Perkins says as he pleads with them not to move his arms. "Hard to breathe. Don't do that man. Just keep them out so I can breathe."

"Give me your other hand, man," Marquette tells him.

"I can't breathe. I can't breathe. Please tell them to hurry up."

"Start putting compression on it," Mukkadam tells Marquette at 1:50:06 a.m. Marquette lifts up Perkins' shirt and searches his body with a flashlight. Perkins moans in pain.

"Have you patted him down for weapons?" Mukkadam asks.

At 1:50:14 a.m., Marquette pulls on the waistband of Perkins' shorts, and the bodycam ends.

The presentation closes with an image of a pistol equipped with a light. The trigger is fully rearward inside the guard. A red circle around the trigger includes a caption: "The trigger is pressed."

Glock pistols come with a unique Safe Action System, according to a Glock representative. The company recommends storing their handguns in the dry-fired position, as shown in the image of Perkins' gun, to relieve spring tension. When the trigger is in this position, it is impossible to fire a round, according to Glock. — Repossession

The incident began with an attempt to repossess Perkins' pickup truck.

Combs called the Decatur Police Department and asked them to accompany him back to Perkins' home while he repossessed the vehicle, according to the ALEA presentation.

"I went to try and secure a vehicle, and a debtor come out of the house and pulled a gun on me," he told a dispatcher named Kelly, according to audio.

"Did they fire off a shot or anything?" the dispatcher asked.

"No, it just — I called Jack earlier and he said that that pushes the borders of criminal ..."

The dispatcher asked what the man looked like and what kind of gun it was.

"Alright, yeah I'll get somebody down to y'all's shop on Poole Valley to meet you."

Security video from Perkins' neighbors showed that Allstar Recovery departed with Perkins' truck as he lay dying. There it remained at 3920 Poole Valley Road S.W., less than a mile from Perkins' home, until it was returned to his brother on Nov. 13.

Allstar Recovery, along with employees Richie Brady and Caleb Combs, Decatur, Pentagon Federal Credit Union, Marquette, Mukkadam, Williams and Summers have since been sued for civil rights violations and wrongful death by Perkins' widow.

Marquette was indicted for murder by a Morgan County grand jury on Jan. 5. His jury trial is scheduled to begin on Oct. 21.

The Perkins family released a statement on Wednesday and reiterated that they have relentlessly asked for full transparency from the Decatur Police Department after Perkins' death. They were provided the opportunity to view bodycam video in January.

"We were already aware that the bodycam footage confirmed that Steve was recklessly ambushed and murdered by the Decatur Police Department," the statement said. "The release of this information should have come from the proper authorities, in the proper manner, so the information could be viewed objectively in the spirit of transparency and accountability.

"Our family continues to stand confidently in support of the facts of the case and looks forward to the time when all of the evidence is properly introduced in court, so that we as a family and a community can have the opportunity to get our beloved Steve the justice he deserves."

Standing in Power cofounder Aneesah Saafiyah on Wednesday said that the leaked video shows that the officers and repo agents were wrong from the beginning.

"The officers had enough time, before Steve came outside, to change their course of action and leave, but they stayed, hid and ambushed Steve which resulted in him being killed by four officers under Chief Todd Pinion," she said. "All of the officers and the tow truck drivers should've been indicted and charged."

Briona Watkins, an early organizer of the Justice for Steve Perkins Movement, agreed that everyone involved in Perkins' death should be prosecuted.

"It proves Marquette was hidden; it shows there was no de-escalation attempt," she said. "(Perkins) is shot within seconds, and it shows an innocent man laying on the ground asking for help as he's unable to breathe and there are no actions being taken.

"Seeing a human being treated as Steve was is heartbreaking and unacceptable. This city and the entire Police Department need reform."

The Decatur Police Department declined to comment on the leak or the contents of the video.

ALEA in a statement said they did not release the video to media outlets and don't know who did: "ALEA's State Bureau of Investigation turned over the investigative file regarding the officer-involved shooting involving Mr. Stephen Perkins to the Morgan County District Attorney's Office on Dec. 26, 2023."

District Attorney Scott Anderson was unable to comment on the leak due to a temporary gag order on the case. The gag order was put into place Friday after a local radio show announced they possessed the full ALEA investigative file. The DA's office turned over evidence to Marquette's attorneys March 12, according to court records. A hearing on the gag order is scheduled for April 8.

"I can't breathe," is a cry echoed by other Black men killed by police, such as Eric Garner, Javier Ambler, Manuel Ellis, Elijah McClain and George Floyd.

— david.gambino@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2438.