DECATUR, Ala. — At the first Decatur City Council meeting after the results of an internal police investigation into the shooting death of Steve Perkins by Decatur police officers, Mayor Tab Bowling issued a statement. It explains the next steps in the process for possible discipline for the officers involved. Two of the points Mayor Bowling made is that he intends the make the findings of these hearings public and that the city can only look into violations of city policy. Mayor Bowling and Chief Pinion previously stated that the actual hearings will be closed.
These remarks were delivered on Nov. 20.
As you likely know, the Decatur Police Department has concluded its investigation, and Chief Pinion determined that police department policies were violated.
Counsel for the City advises me that he is in receipt of Chief Pinion's determinations. He anticipates recommending discipline as a result those determinations and providing me with a formal statement of charges and specifications on Wednesday, November 22. Hearings on any proposed discipline will be tentatively scheduled for December 4, subject to the availability of the parties and witnesses.
In any hearing, I will hear the facts of the case and decide if discipline is warranted and to what extent. Under Alabama law, any decision can be appealed to the Personnel Board if any officer is disciplined.
The Decatur Police Department has committed, and I have committed, to make the findings of these hearings public.
As a reminder, the City can only look into potential violations of City policy. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is conducting the criminal investigation.
I also want to make a personal comment. Thanksgiving is Thursday. Thanksgiving is a day of reflecting on our blessings and spending time with family and loved ones.
For the Perkins family, this will undoubtedly be a hard day. They will have an empty seat at their table. They will be missing their father, husband, brother, and friend.
I ask for all Decatur citizens to keep them in their prayers.
And beyond that, I ask for prayers for this process – for justice, for healing, and for peace for everyone involved. I ask you to join me in praying for Steve Perkins’ family and friends, for those who are hurting, for our law enforcement officers and first responders, and for our City.
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Decatur Chief of Police Todd Pinion believes "discipline is warranted" following the officer-involved shooting that claimed the life of Steve Perkins in late September. In a statement released Friday, Pinion shared his conclusion that he "found reason to believe that policies were violated" and explained what the next steps regarding possible disciplinary action against the officers involved.
The department's internal review of the incident concluded last week, and the results of that review, combined with Pinion's recommendations, will be forwarded to Mayor Tab Bowling, who Pinion cited will be the one to make a final determination.
A criminal review remains underway by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Meanwhile, Pinion confirmed that the officer who fired the fatal shot remains on paid administrative leave, and officers and a supervisor involved in the case remain on administrative reassignment pending the outcome of the investigations.
The following is the unedited statement from Decatur Police Chief Todd Pinion.
The internal investigation by the Decatur Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards into the death of Stephen Perkins is complete. On Thursday, I met with the involved officers concerning the report, reviewed the findings, and gave them an opportunity to be heard before I made any decision. I found reason to believe that policies were violated and the final report and findings were sent to the Legal Department and outside counsel late this afternoon to prepare the formal documents to move forward the discipline process.
Under our merit system rules, a chief of police cannot issue discipline beyond written reprimands and it is my professional opinion that such discipline is warranted. The Mayor will conduct a review and make a final determination if discipline is warranted and to what extent.
The officer who fired his weapon remains on paid administrative leave. As a matter of policy, officers who are placed on administrative leave continue to be paid while due process takes place. The other two officers who were on-duty at the time of the shooting and the involved supervisor remain on-duty but on administrative assignments.
Additionally, I have made the determination that while the Decatur Police Department policies and procedures are accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), we will be conducting a review of all policies and updating or adding policies that could help reduce the likelihood of something like this ever happening again.
I also want to address reports in the media about Mr. Perkins’ vehicle being repossessed by the recovery company shortly after Mr. Perkins was shot. This is true, and while no policy exists for every potential situation a police department may encounter, I fully understand why the officers’ decision to allow this to occur caused additional hurt to Mr. Perkins’ family and our community. I am sorry for the additional pain caused and pledge we are working to address the culture of our police department to ensure compassion remains at the top of our core values.
I would like to remind the public that the Decatur Police Department’s administrative investigation and any outcome pertain to the violation of department policy only. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is conducting a separate criminal investigation to determine if there were any violations of Alabama law.
Finally, my thoughts remain with the family and friends of Mr. Perkins and all those in our community and beyond impacted by his death. This has been a very painful chapter for Decatur and I recognize healing will not occur for many until after all information that can be released has been made public and all determinations on violation of policy and state law completed and potential litigation resolved. As I have stated before, while the Decatur Police Department is not in control of when information pertaining to the criminal investigation will be released, I remain committed to encouraging it be shared as soon as feasible. The City of Decatur will continue to share any new information that is able to be shared as it becomes available.