DOJ agrees to meet with Catrela Perkins about community concerns, attorney says
DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) – The attorney for the family of Stephen Perkins says that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has agreed to meet with them to discuss community concerns.
After she was detained by Decatur Police on April 19, Catrela Perkins, the widow of Stephen Perkins, requested a meeting with the DOJ. Her lawyer, Lee Merritt, told News 19 that the DOJ has accepted the meeting.
RELATED: Community leaders file harassment complaint against Decatur police officer
Merritt said in a letter that Catrela Perkins is prepared to meet with members of the DOJ to discuss the community concerns in hopes that the office will take immediate remedial action.
“The Decatur Police Department is engaged in a pattern of civil and criminal abuses that require immediate intervention,” the letter said. It went on to say that Decatur’s policies and procedures “promote the use of excessive and unconstitutional force against citizens.”
On April 19, people gathered at a community event to protest the death of Stephen Perkins, who was killed by police in the early morning hours of Sept. 29th, during an apparent vehicle repossession.
Protestors say what happened at the event is why they’re seeking change in Decatur, starting with law enforcement.
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