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On Tuesday, Christine Dallas, mother of Jawan Dallas, came before the Mobile City Council again this time asking why the identities of the officers involved in her son’s death have not been released yet.
“Where are the officers who were involved with my son’s death,” Christine asked the Mobile City Council. “I have not heard anything about them. We don’t know their names and if they’re still on duty. And if they are they shouldn’t be.”
Jawan Dallas was killed by Mobile Police Department officers on July 2 after being tased multiple times by officers. Since Jawan’s death his family and attorneys have routinely called on the City of Mobile and MPD for transparency in this process and the release of body camera footage or dash cam footage of Jawan’s death.
Despite these calls and claims of being transparent by MPD the department still has not released the identities of the cops involved in Jawan’s death. It has been over three months.
APR called MPD’s public affairs contact to ask why the department has not released information and the identity of the officers involved in Jawan’s death. No one answered but APR left a voicemail which has also not received a response.
APR also called the Chief of MPD Paul Prine to ask why his department has not released the officers’ identities and Prine did not answer either. APR left a voicemail however, with Prine also but has not received a response either regarding that request.
On MPD’s website there are postings dating as far back to 2016 celebrating the officers of the month. Police identities are released for good behavior yet not disclosed for extensive periods when they’re involved in an individual’s death.
Christine again asked for the release of body camera footage the night of Jawan’s death. City of Mobile Attorney Ricardo Woods has previously stated that the video would not be released as of yet because it is going to be evidence in the grand jury trial. Grand juries are also not transparent as the media and public are not allowed into the trial proceedings.
Woods has stated that he would work with the family after the grand jury to allow them to view the body camera footage. The timetable for the grand jury to take place and decide on a ruling according to Woods would be a “matter of months.”
“We want to see the video. I want to see the video,” Christine said. “Because I need to know how my son’s last few minutes of his life ended. So, again we’re asking for transparency, accountability and justice for Jay.”
