DECATUR, Ala. — Steve Perkins was shot and killed by Decatur Police officers on September 29th. Perkins family attorney Lee Merritt said this federal lawsuit is a step towards complete justice for the Perkins family and the Decatur community.
"The lawsuit, filed this morning in the northern district of Alabama, cites the City of Decatur as a defendant, Bailey Marquette, Christopher Mukkadam, Joey Williams, Vance Summers, Pentagon Federal Credit Union, Allstar Recovery LLC, Caleb Combs, and Richie Brady, each as defendants. I'm hoping that now that the names are publicized and the federal civil rights lawsuit, that that will assist the prosecutor and investigators in determining what actually happened."
Merritt said complete justice starts with one thing. "Criminal accountability, there's also a civil accountability for the estate of Mr. Perkins, and that's what we're getting into. But ultimately, what the lawsuit what lies at the heart of the lawsuit and everyone's action is policy change to ensure that something like this never happens in the city of Decatur again and to prevent this kind of violence throughout the country. "
Merritt continued that there is no numeric amount that will do justice for this family. "And we do intend to pursue an outcome that will be crippling for the city of Decatur. What I mean by that is that we want to go after what we call extraordinary relief, injunctive relief, where the court will come in and say there are certain policies and procedures that occur here in the city that will not be allowed to continue."
Standing in Power Co-Founder Terrance Adkins agrees. "It's a bittersweet moment because we also have to remember that someone was murdered. But at the end of the day, we're we're seeking justice for their murder. And the fact that we're here and we're moving forward with everything that's going on is just a testament to the will of the community."