Perkins family releases statement after body cam footage leaked
DECATUR, Ala (WHNT) — The family of Stephen Perkins has released a statement after body cam footage of his death was released online.
Stephen Perkins was killed by police in the early morning hours of Sept. 29th, following an incident surrounding a vehicle repossession. Conservative news website 1819 News released the body cam video from that night Tuesday morning.
After viewing the leaked video, shocked supporters of the Perkins family took to social media to call for the prosecution of all of those involved in the murder of Stephen Perkins.
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Perkins’ family has reacted to the release of the of the video. You can read the family’s full statement here:
“In the aftermath of the devastating murder of Stephen Clay Perkins, our family and the citizens of Decatur have relentlessly asked for full transparency from the Decatur Police Department regarding Stephen’s murder.
Our family was granted access to body cam footage by the District Attorney’s office following the murder indictment, so we were already aware that body cam footage confirmed that Stephen was recklessly ambushed and murdered by the Decatur Police Department.
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.”
The Perkins Family
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Community group Standing in Power also released a statement after the release of the video. The organization said the video shows what they have always known about the shooting.
“The leaked ALEA body cam shows us that the officers and tow truck drivers involved were wrong from the very beginning,” The organization said. “The officers had enough time, before Steve came outside, to change their course of action and leave but they stayed, hid ambushed Steve which resulted in him being killed by four officers under Chief Todd Pinion. All of the officers and Tow Truck drivers should’ve be indicted and charged.”
Beyond the statements, The Perkins Family and community groups are choosing not to further comment on the video after consultation with the Morgan County District Attorney’s Office
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