The family of an Alabama man who tragically lost his life in a police shooting outside his home early Friday morning is seeking clarity on the incident, according to his brother in a conversation with CNN on Monday.
Stephen Perkins, a 39-year-old resident of Decatur, Northern Alabama, was shot by the police outside his home. The police reported that Perkins had allegedly pointed a handgun equipped with a light toward an officer, prompting the officer to fire at him. Perkins later succumbed to his injuries at a nearby hospital.
The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. on Friday when Decatur officers were called to Perkins' residence by a local towing company. The towing company claimed that Perkins had brandished a handgun when the tow truck driver attempted to repossess a car in his driveway.
Officers returned to the scene with the tow truck driver, and that's when Perkins reportedly exited his home with a handgun and began threatening the driver. Police officers on-site ordered him to drop his weapon, but he allegedly refused to comply and turned the gun toward one of the officers, resulting in the officer firing his weapon.
The family of Stephen Perkins is seeking answers about the incident, expressing their uncertainty about what transpired.
His brother, Nicholas Perkins, explained that being shot and killed by the police had always been Stephen's biggest fear, given the challenges faced by Black men in America. Nicholas described his brother as a family-oriented, likable man with no enemies, emphasizing that the situation did not make sense to them.
In a statement, the family disputed the claim that Stephen Perkins owed money on his car, presenting financial receipts as evidence that he was not at risk of repossession and that he had been consistently making monthly payments through his financing company.
In another development, Craig Ross Jr., a 46-year-old New Yorker accused of kidnapping a 9-year-old girl from a bike trail near Lake George, faced first-degree kidnapping charges in a 3 a.m. arraignment, as per jail records. See detailed story here
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