|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The brother of a man killed by Decatur Police said he would hold off on announcing his candidacy for mayor of the city until a longtime city councilman makes clear his intentions.
Nicholas Perkins, who has helped lead a peaceful city reform movement in the wake of his brother’s alleged murder by a police officer, said on the Alabama Politics This Week podcast that he was set to announce a run for mayor this week but learned that city councilman Billy Jackson was rumored to be entering the race.
Attempts to reach Jackson for comment were unsuccessful.
Nicholas Perkins said he also has been unsuccessful in attempts to speak with Jackson. However, he said Jackson’s entry in the race would likely push him in a different direction.
“It’s my understanding that if he runs for mayor he would have to vacate his city council position, and if that’s the case I would probably look at running for city council and filling his seat,” Perkins said. “That’s an important position as well. I would like to be in the mayor’s seat, because I think that offers the best opportunity to be in a leadership role. I think that’s what this city has been missing. I think a lot of people who aren’t part of the good ol’ boy system in Decatur are looking for someone who is of the same mindset.”
Perkins noted that he still has plenty of time to make a decision, since qualifying doesn’t end until late June and the municipal election isn’t until Aug. 26.
Perkins has been widely praised by Decatur residents and political leaders for his controlled, purposeful approach to the protests and various events in the aftermath of his brother’s shooting. While leading the efforts, Perkins has managed to maintain an open and productive relationship with several city leaders, leading to significant changes.
In the meantime, current Mayor Tab Bowling, who has said he doesn’t plan to run for re-election, has been widely criticized for handling of the shooting and the protests that followed. Bowling leaves council meetings before the start of citizens’ comments, because he doesn’t want to hear criticism of his work as mayor. He also has made several decisions that served to inflame protestors and attempted to criminalize the protests.
The shooting of Steve Perkins has been a rarity in America, with the event drawing outrage against police from a wide swath of Decatur residents, cutting across racial and economic demographics. Steve Perkins was shot in his front yard after exiting his home in the early morning hours to confront a tow truck driver who was attempting to wrongfully repossess his truck.
Steve Perkins and the driver had a confrontation earlier that night, and Perkins, armed with a handgun, had told the driver he was in the wrong and that he needed to leave his property. Under Alabama law, that should have ended the confrontation and the financer of the truck should have then filed with a court to begin a legal repossession process that would have included the police.
Instead, the driver contacted DPD and asked for assistance in repossessing the vehicle. Doing so for the DPD officers was both against the law and against department policy, according to multiple attorneys. Regardless, four officers showed up to the scene, hid their vehicles down the street and then hid themselves behind parked cars, across the street and behind the corner of Perkins’ home. Upon hearing the tow truck back outside, Perkins exited his home, still carrying a firearm. As he made his way across his own front yard, DPD officers sprang from the dark, with one officer screaming at Perkins to get on the ground, less than a full second before opening fire on Perkins.
In the immediate aftermath, DPD released a statement claiming that Perkins had been shot after refusing commands to drop his weapon. But quickly, security camera footage from neighboring homes popped up on social media, showing that Perkins had been surprised by the officers and shot before he had time to even realize who was yelling at him – a scene that resembled a purposeful ambush.
The shooting of Steve Perkins, along with the video footage and DPD lie, led to widespread protests. Those protests were poorly handled by DPD, who arrested numerous peaceful protestors on trumped-up charges, a recent third party review found. And all of it eventually led to the resignation of police chief Todd Pinion.
Throughout the various events, Nicholas Perkins was a reliable leader and a voice of reason, often serving to calm tensions even while holding police and city leaders accountable. His candidacy would be very popular among a wide swath of Decatur residents.
