Steve Perkins' widow handcuffed, others arrested during 3rd Friday event
Apr. 19—Decatur police on Friday night handcuffed Catrela Perkins, the widow of a man killed in September by a Decatur police officer, and arrested at three other people during protests that coincided with 3rd Friday festivities on Second Avenue.
Catrela Perkins, whose husband Steve Perkins was killed by a Decatur police officer Sept. 29 in his front yard while his pickup was being repossessed, on Friday night said she was handcuffed by Decatur Lt. Joe Renshaw when asking why police had arrested Alvin Mosely, her brother.
She was at the Morgan County Jail seeking to post bond for Mosely and another person when she spoke to The Decatur Daily.
"They arrested my brother, Alvin Mosely, and all I asked them was why are you arresting him," she said. "I said what did he do, why are you arresting him. Renshaw said, 'Grab her and arrest her.' That's exactly what he said. And they put me in handcuffs. He backs Mac."
A grand jury indicted former Decatur police officer Mac Marquette for murder in the shooting death of Steve Perkins. He pleaded not guilty.
"Renshaw told me they don't want us out there. He was roughing me up. He was grabbing me and pulling on me," Catrela Perkins said.
The incident occurred at the corner of Moulton Street and Second Avenue, next to Mellow Mushroom, at about 6:30 p.m. Police Chief Todd Pinion was present.
"Todd Pinion was there and he didn't do anything. He let (Renshaw) pull on me and tug me. I told him multiple times that my cuffs were too tight and they didn't do anything," Perkins said.
Pinion eventually had the handcuffs removed.
"I told Todd he better get these cuffs off of me because I didn't do anything. Renshaw has something against me, I guess because he backs Mac. I was not charged, because I didn't do anything."
Multiple attempts to reach representatives of the Decatur Police Department on Friday night were initially unsuccessful, but at 10:17 p.m, Friday spokeswoman Irene Cardenas-Martinez issued a statement:
"Tonight at 3rd Friday there was an incident involving some protestors. Three were arrested. There were no injuries and we'll be reviewing footage of the incident. We will update as necessary.
Lawrence Souffrant, a co-founder of Standing in Power, a group that has led protests against Decatur police and the city's response to Steve Perkin's death, said he watched Catrela Perkins being handcuffed.
"I watched the whole thing," Souffrant said. "We were enjoying the event. Police came and told us we had to disperse for no reason. Then they arrested a man because he was wearing a mask. He explained to them that he wasn't feeling well. Six of them grabbed him, pulled his mask off. He was telling them, 'I'm not feeling well.' They were telling him to take off his mask while holding his arms, so I really don't know how he could even comply."
The man wearing a mask apparently was Derrick Taylor, the husband of Sierra Taylor, who this month said she was punched in the face by Decatur police Officer Jack Brown during a protest.
"My husband was just grabbed out of the crowd for wearing a mask and charged with disorderly conduct," Sierra Taylor said Friday night. "He had that mask on because he's sick. He is legitimately sick. He had a mask on for everybody's protection. He has either COVID or the flu, and he went to jail for it."
Catrela Perkins said she believes Mosely was arrested because he was videotaping the arrest of the man wearing a mask.
"They didn't even give him time to take his mask off. He was taking his mask off and was arrested as soon as he took his mask off. And Renshaw put a Taser in his chest after he was handcuffed. He didn't Tase him, but he threatened him," Catrela Perkins said.
Souffrant said the incident demonstrated the problems with the Police Department.
"It's time for the citizens of Decatur to see the type of policing that happens in their own city. Whether you agree with our movement or not, that's unacceptable for any citizen, any resident of Decatur," he said. "None of us should be treated like that. We weren't doing anything, but when they said we had to disburse, we were disbursing. It's all on video. We were complying. This was a public event and we were not doing anything illegal. They still asked us to disperse. We complied."
Like Sierra Taylor, Souffrant said individuals were targeted by police.
"We were all together and going the same way, dispersing, but when they saw Catrela they targeted her," he said.
When the crowd saw that Catrela Perkins had been released from the handcuffs, they erupted in applause, Souffrant said.
Perkins said the incident convinced her that Pinion needs to leave the department.
"He can't handle his guys. He was right there, and he couldn't do anything," she said. "He has to go."
— eric@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2435
