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A fatal shooting in Alabama killed a black man, Stephen Clay Perkins just outside his house on September 29, 2023. As per AP, the 39-year-old man was allegedly shot by the police after the authorities reported that he had a confrontation with a tow truck driver as he was trying to repossess a vehicle.
The Decatur Police Department reported that the tow truck driver claimed that Stephen Clay Perkins pulled out a gun to threaten them, and later also turned the gun on police officers who arrived at the scene.
The family claimed that Perkins' truck was "wrongfully repossessed," and demanded a proper investigation into the case. The family attorney, Lee Merritt stated that on the basis of the CCTV footage, the "actions of the police were questionable."
Merritt said:
“They jumped up. They shouted. The policy of not announcing yourself and creeping up into people’s onto people’s properties. They will tell you it’s for officer protection, so that they’re not ambushed, but what they did here was ambush Steve.”
As per AP, the family claimed that Stephen Clay Perkins was shot seven times by the police, after which, he passed away. A GoFundMe page has now been launched to support Stephen's family, as they fight for the case to be investigated.
The fundraiser aims to collect $100,00 and has raised $60,147 as of this writing with the help of 1,000 donations.
Stephen Clay Perkins feared "being killed by the police"
The police have started investigating the death of Stephen Clay Perkins, and Police Chief Todd Pinion stated that officials will not be able to comment on the situation until the same is completed.
Furthermore, as per PBS, the family shed light on the death of the black man and said:
“Rumors have circulated regarding Decatur Police Department’s statement stigmatizing Clay as combative or aggressive, causing rage in marginalized communities across Alabama. This was not the character of Clay Perkins. Clay was a family-oriented young black man thriving for excellence.”
Stephen was born in Alabama in 1984 and was a "family man," as per the GoFundMe post. He had two daughters, who are 14 and 7 years old, respectively. The family also stated that he was a "devoted husband and gym enthusiast," who wished to open his own gym.
“Steve dreamed of one day opening his own gym where he could continue to pursue his love of fitness while providing a safe space for community growth and development. He kept his nose clean telling his close friends he only harboured a single fear as a black man- being killed by the police,” the post read.
The family alleged that "Steve was abused by Decatur police officers while his vehicle was wrongfully repossessed by a tow company." They now demand justice and call for the officers responsible for the alleged shooting to be terminated, arrested, and prosecuted.
Stephen Clay Perkins' family hopes to raise the required amount via the GoFundMe page as they continue to fight the case.
