‘Persistence is key’: Community gathers after 6 months since Stephen Perkins was killed
DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — Friday marked 6 months since Stephen Perkins was killed in front of his home by Decatur Police Officers.
The incident occurred following an attempted vehicle repossession.
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The Decatur community and supporters have hosted hundreds of protests rallying behind Perkins’ family vowing to see change in their city, efforts that continued Friday evening.
Community members tell News 19 to help honor Perkins’ legacy, the ongoing demonstrations are necessary and it’s something that won’t change anytime soon. Six months after the deadly shooting, those calls for justice still ring loudly as they did when protests first began.
The movement was birthed after Perkins was shot and killed at the hands of police on September 29 following a vehicle repossession incident.
Three officers were fired and another was suspended by Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling in the aftermath. The Morgan County District Attorney’s Office charged former Decatur Police Officer Mac Bailey Marquette with Perkins murder.
Six months later, demonstrators continued their calls to see change in their city including seeing all the officers involved arrested and charged along with Marquette.
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They also reignited their calls for Decatur Police Chief Todd Pinion and the city’s Mayor Tab Bowling to both step-down. Protesters like Terrance Adkins with Standing in Power say they have lots of progress to make and are prepared for a long road ahead.
“A lot of times when we see these types of incidents across the country, we don’t find out about them until a year, two years out,” Adkins said. “For us to be at this six-month mark and have all these things accomplished that we have and we still have more to accomplish, it’s a bittersweet feeling.”
Adkins says the community only has each other for now and feels the city has no leadership at this point.
Since Perkins’ death, others like Lawrence Souffrant say the mayor and the police chief haven’t done enough in their response to the incident and feel it has shown their true colors.
“Their silence is loud, the fact that at a time where they had an opportunity to encourage the citizens and try to build a rapport and some trust in the system, they truly dropped the ball,” Souffrant told News 19.
Former Decatur Police Officer Mac Bailey Marquette is set to stand trial in October. Community members say remaining behind the Perkins family in their fight for justice is a must, with many feeling they have to remain consistent in their ongoing movement.
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