Website releases body camera video of Perkins shooting

DECATUR, Ala (WHNT) — There’s been an unusual development in the murder case of former Decatur Police Officer Mac Marquette, who is charged with the September on-duty shooting of Stephen Perkins outside his home.

For months after the shooting, multiple community protests featured calls for the release of officer body-camera footage. Law enforcement agencies and the Morgan County District Attorney turned down those requests.

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However, Tuesday morning Conservative Alabama website 1819 News released what appears to be body camera footage from the night of the Perkins shooting. The website says it’s video that the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) provided to the Morgan County DA’s Office.

ALEA investigated the Perkins shooting.

News 19 asked ALEA if they’ve released the video publicly and a spokesman said they did not. They also denied our request for access to the video. News 19 has not obtained the rights to post or air the video.

In announcing Marquette’s indictment in January, Morgan County District Attorney Scott Anderson said a grand jury reviewed all the evidence that was gathered in ALEA’s investigation before issuing a murder indictment.

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Up to today, the only widespread release of video from the shooting was from Perkins’ neighbor’s security camera. That video, which News 19 has repeatedly shown, is across the street from where the new bodycam footage shows the deadly shooting.

Anderson said in January he would not release police body cam video because it could affect the criminal case. He said the security camera video prompted rumors and half-truths.

“That evidence, while it is still good evidence, is tainted with opinion,” Anderson said. “It also taints the jury pool, because if the jury has seen evidence outside the courtroom that is eventually going to come in the courtroom, then we have to make sure that they can set whatever they’ve heard about that evidence aside, and some of them can’t, and so if I release the bodycam footage I would be contributing to that and I’m not going to do that”

A gag order in the case was issued Friday, barring the parties from releasing any information publicly.

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