Protests continue after dispatch said there is no 911 call associated with Steve Perkins' death

David Gambino, The Decatur Daily, Ala.
·3 min read
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Oct. 19—Protests of the Decatur police shooting of Steve Perkins continue this week as dispatch revealed there was no 911 call associated with the incident and the Perkins family fights for access to bodycam video.

"No, he did not call 911," said Jeanie Pharis of the tow truck driver who responded to Perkins' residence on Sept. 29. Pharis is the director of Morgan County 911 and was responding to a public records request by The Decatur Daily. "There is no 911 call associated with this incident," she said.

According to police, the tow truck driver sought to repossess Perkins' vehicle at about 1:30 a.m. and Perkins threatened him with a gun. He then contacted police and they went to Perkins' home with the tow truck driver. A police officer shot Perkins multiple times when, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, he brandished a gun mounted on a flashlight toward an officer. Security video indicates the officer began shooting seconds after police identified themselves.

Meanwhile, Cannon Lambert Sr., an attorney for the Perkins family, flew into town from Chicago after a Perkins family spokesperson said they expected to view bodycam video of the shooting on Tuesday.

"Originally there was not a request for paperwork, however, on the day of the meeting they requested paperwork for us to go through official channels," spokesperson Brent Lipscomb said Wednesday.

"We submitted the paperwork that the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) requested the same day. Now, we're just waiting on ALEA to send that through whatever channels."

Lipscomb said Lambert is working in concert with national civil rights attorney Lee Merritt.

"Usually on a national case, of course, you'll have multiple lawyers that will be stepping in, so you'll probably see multiple lawyers along the way," Lipscomb said.

Briona Watkins, one of the protest organizers, said Wednesday that the Perkins legal team requested access to the bodycam footage on Oct. 6 with a set deadline of Oct. 16.

A large protest took place in front of City Hall on Wednesday evening.

"It's not just staying in Decatur," Watkins said. Perkins' niece, who attends school in Montgomery, is planning a Saturday protest there, according to Watkins.

Justin Shepherd, a friend and neighbor of Perkins whose house was riddled with bullets when Perkins was shot, said city leadership has been slow to act.

"I believe that people are getting frustrated," he said. "They got more than enough probable cause to make an arrest."

Shepherd has been outspoken at City Council meetings about the damage to his house. He said that he expects the city's insurance representative will contact him this week to assess the damage.

Perkins supporters did not seem surprised at the revelation that no 911 call was made leading up to the shooting.

"The narrative speaks for itself," Lipscomb said. He added that the family does not have a timeline for when to expect the bodycam footage.

"If ALEA does not move rapidly, I'm sure our legal team will be following with appropriate steps."

Lambert and Merritt could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

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