A court official in Alabama ordered the public release of body camera footage on Friday that showed a former Huntsville police officer shot and killed a man who committed suicide in 2018.
According to AL.com, Madison County Circuit Court Judge Donna Pate (Donna Pate) issued the order in response to a letter from a media organization requesting the release of the video used as evidence in the official’s trial.
This video shows the shooting of Jeffery Parker by police officer William Ben Darby in April 2018. Earlier in the day, Parker called the police and said he wanted to end his life.
Weekly newspaper Contact Parker’s family lawyer Martin Weinberg for advice.
However, Weinberg wrote Facebook The Parker family “strongly agrees to make this video public.”
According to News19, the City of Huntsville opposed Pater’s order to release the video, believing that the body camera video was a non-public law enforcement record, so its release did not comply with Alabama’s Open Recording Act. In 2019, the City of Huntsville paid Darby $125,000 in legal fees.
According to the video, the police who arrived at the scene found Parker sitting on his sofa, pointing a gun to his head. Genisha Pegues, a police officer on the scene, also testified against Darby during the trial. Before Darby entered the house, he was talking with Parker to try to calm the situation.
The video shows that Darby shot Parker in the face 11 seconds after entering the house. Darby testified that he shot to protect himself and other police officers, fearing that Parker would shoot them to death.
In the body camera lens, Dabi can be heard yelling “Point your gun at him” to Peggs, and repeatedly telling Parker to put down his gun.
According to a WAAY TV report last week, Darby was charged with murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder of Parker.
In May, Madison County Jury Convicted Darby Kill Parker and make a verdict on the second day of the trial.
Huntsville police said in May that they did not believe Darby was the murderer.
“We are in the first stage of shock,” Huntsville police Chief Mark McMurray said in a statement. “Although we are grateful for the service provided by the jury in this difficult case, I do not believe that Officer Darby is the murderer.”
The city police review cleared Darby’s misconduct, and officials allowed him to continue to serve as a police officer after his conviction. According to AL.com, Darby later resigned in July.
Darby’s lawyer Robert Tuten, Huntsville Police Department and relatives of Jeffrey Parker did not immediately respond Weekly newspaper solicit opinions.
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