Steve Perkins Shooting: Decatur officer charged with murder after Grand Jury indictment
DA Scott Anderson said former officer Mac Bailey Marquette has been charged with murder for the shooting of Steve Perkins.
Morgan County District Attorney Scott Anderson said former Decatur officer Mac Bailey Marquette has been charged with murder for the shooting death of Steve Perkins. Anderson says Marquette was arrested. Marquette will be formally arraigned and enter his plea as in any other criminal case. Court records did not immediately indicate if Marquette has an attorney to speak on his behalf.
Anderson says body camera footage has been made available to the family if they choose to see it. He says he is not releasing the body camera footage to the public to avoid the chance of influencing the jury pool. Marquette has been cited in complaint documents as the officer who fired the fatal shots.
The Decatur Police Department said in September that officers came to Perkins' home after a tow truck driver reported that Perkins flashed a gun when he was attempting to repossess a vehicle.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said in an initial news release that Perkins was armed with a handgun equipped with a light and “brandished the weapon towards an officer with the Decatur Police Department, causing the officer to fire at Perkins.” ALEA, which completed its own investigation of the incident, handed its findings over to the DA's office last week.
An attorney for Perkins’ family has said officers essentially ambushed Perkins as he came out of his home and that Perkins did not seem aware of their presence. The family said the truck payments were up to date, which is likely why he was disputing it being towed.
It was not made clear in Friday's announcement if police claims Perkins was armed were corroborated or disproved by the evidence the grand jury saw. Anderson declined to answer questions related to evidence in the case.
Marquette was released on $30,000 bond, according to court records.
Grand Jury's findings One officer charged, 'no violations' with others
The district attorney said the grand jury heard from no fewer than 15 witnesses as well as viewing the body camera footage. He said the grand jury's decision to indict 23-year-old Marquette was unanimous.
"After having considered all the facts and evidence, the grand jury agreed unanimously that there were no violations with regards to the laws of the State of Alabama against any other officer," Anderson said. "I agree completely with the decision this grand jury made.
"I understand fully there are some members of our community that believe more than one officer should be charged," the DA continued, "or that no one should have been charged. However, to anyone that disagrees with the decision, please understand that the members of this grand jury are the only people with the exception of myself who heard all the facts, who know all the truth, and were in a position to consider all of the evidence."
Anderson said “the job now falls to me and my office to prosecute this case and seek justice. It's not easy for me to be in the position of prosecuting an officer, but in this circumstance, it's the right thing to do,” he said.
When asked about a possible change of venue, Anderson says that it is up to the defense to do if they choose to.
Anderson said that he does not believe that this will have an effect on Marquette's appeal of his termination, that those are two separate cases.
Word of the District Attorney's impending announcement came late Thursday, on what would have been Perkins' 40th birthday, a weekend in which family members and supporters will celebrate his life with a series of events.
Reaction Family, justice groups speak out
Standing in Power, a social justice group formed shortly after Perkins' death, which has been vocal in demanding prosecution of all officers involved, issued a statement after the District Attorney's announcement of Marquette's indictment:
In the wake of the heinous events that unfolded on September 29, 2023, resulting in the tragic death of Steve Perkins, Standing in Power unequivocally condemns the egregious actions of the Decatur Police Department. The shadows of injustice loom large over this incident, and we refuse to accept the mere tokenism of charging one officer.
Steve Perkins' life was unjustly cut short, and justice demands accountability from all involved. We applaud DA Scott Anderson for convening a Grand Jury and securing the necessary indictment of Mack [sic] Marquette.
"If I was to go out with my friends and robbed a store," explained Standing in Power co-founder Aneesah Saafiyah, "everyone in that car would be convicted. That applies to the police, too - they are not above the law."
The fatal shooting has drawn regular protests in the north Alabama city. Protesters have carried signs reading “You could have knocked” and “We need answers.”
Decatur City Hall, where many protests and calls for firing of Police Chief Todd Pinion and other city leaders has taken place, closed for the remainder of the day following the indictment announcement.
An attorney representing the Perkins family said Friday that "we are extremely relieved that criminal charges are moving forward.”
“Steve Perkins was gunned down in front of his home by an officer with absolutely no justification for the use of force," attorney Lee Merritt said in a texted statement. He said they are "cautiously optimistic that the charges brought today will culminate in a conviction and appropriate sentencing.”
"This is not justice, entirely," said Catrela Perkins, Steve's widow, calling the indictment "a baby step... But it is what it is. I'm grateful for the murder charge that was given."
Ms. Perkins did confirm she was presented the opportunity to see the body camera footage of the incident, but chose not to.
In the months since the shooting, there have been dozens of protests and calls for justice against the officers who responded to Perkins' home that night. Three of the officers, Marquette included, were fired in early December, with a fourth placed on unpaid suspension. The four officers are appealing those decisions with the Decatur city personnel office, with hearings due to begin in the next few weeks.
A federal lawsuit has also been filed against the officers and Decatur city leaders.