Homewood, AL — A Jefferson County district attorney has ruled that the fatal police shooting of 18-year-old Jabari Peoples was legally justified, stating the teen grabbed a gun during a confrontation with police. But Peoples’ family, backed by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, is challenging that conclusion and demanding the release of full body camera footage.
DA: Teen Had Gun in Hand When Shot
District Attorney Danyelle Carr announced Wednesday that no charges would be filed against the Homewood police officer involved in the June 23 incident. The shooting occurred in a parking lot in Homewood, a suburb of Birmingham, where Peoples and a friend had been sitting in a parked car around 9:30 p.m.
Carr said the officer approached the car after suspecting marijuana was present and attempted to detain Peoples after noticing a gun in the door.
“At the time of the shooting, Mr. Peoples had the gun in his right hand and the officer fired one shot, hitting Mr. Peoples in the left side of the back causing injury that ultimately caused his death,” Carr wrote in an official statement.
Carr stated that Peoples ran back to the car during the struggle and grabbed the gun before being shot.
Family: Jabari Was Scared and Pleading
Following the announcement, Carr showed the Peoples family a short portion of the officer’s body camera footage — a clip that has not been released to the public. Family members say the video left them with more questions than answers.
“I have so many unanswered questions, still. Today, what I saw on this video, my brother was afraid. He was scared. He was running for his life,” said Angel Smith, Jabari’s sister.
She said she could hear her brother plead, “Sir, I promise I’m not trying to resist.”
Attorney Ben Crump Demands Full Video
National civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the Peoples family, said the family wants full transparency and access to all bodycam footage from the incident.
“We want exactly what you would want if this was your son that was shot in the back running away from the police,” Crump said.
So far, the Homewood Police Department has not responded to requests for comment, and Chief Tim Ross has declined to release the video publicly.
Public Outcry and Ongoing Protests
The shooting has sparked protests in Homewood, with community members criticizing the police department’s lack of transparency and continued refusal to release the full footage.
Key facts surrounding the case:
- The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency conducted the investigation and forwarded its findings to the DA’s office.
- Peoples was a 2024 graduate of Aliceville High School, located about 100 miles west of Homewood.
- The officer involved has not been publicly named.
“There needs to be accountability, and that starts with the truth being made public,” said one protestor outside city hall earlier this week.
What are your thoughts on the DA’s decision and the call for full video release? Share your opinion in the comments.
