One year after a Decatur man’s death at the hands of police, activism and litigation continue • Alabama Reflector

Nicholas grieves for his brother as he continues to be involved in the lawyers’ actions and legal proceedings surrounding his brother’s death, such as a murder trial and appeal hearings against former officials.

In early January, a grand jury indicted former DPD officer Mac Bailey Marquette on murder charges in Steve Perkins’ death. Other officers were in Steve Perkins’ front yard when he was killed but were not charged.

Marquette attorneys Elizabeth Ann Young and Brett Bloomston declined to comment.

Before the Marquette indictment, Bowling fired three officers and suspended another in December for their involvement in the death of Steve Perkins. The city has not said which officers were punished.

The fired officers are scheduled to have an appeal hearing before the Decatur Human Resources Board in January.

The murder trial was originally scheduled to begin Nov. 18 in Morgan County but was postponed to April 7.

Marquette was released on bail while awaiting trial, something Nicholas Perkins strongly disagrees with.

“My family missed Thanksgiving, Christmas and his birthday, which was Jan. 4 (and) Father’s Day,” he said. “Now we have a year to go, and we don’t have Steve, and because you have a gun and a badge, you have to go home.”

In December 2023, Steve Perkins’ widow, Catrela Perkins, sued the officers; The city of Decatur and several other entities she claimed attempted to repossess Perkins’ truck, leading to the police response.

“We believe Steve’s death was not an isolated incident. “It was not the responsibility of any one wrongdoer, but rather it was the result of poor policies and practices in the city,” said Lee Merritt, an attorney representing Catrela Perkins. “Steve Perkins was murdered by the leadership and the bottom, and that’s what we alleged in our lawsuit.”

A federal judge dismissed nearly all of the named defendants from the lawsuit in August.

Merritt said he plans to file a so-called Monell lawsuit, in which a city can be held accountable for a police officer’s actions if the officer is found to be violating a constitutional right because of an official community policy or custom.

The legal filing alleges that Decatur police officers are supposed to use de-escalation techniques when dealing with people, but that they are rewarded for more invasive techniques. The lawsuit alleges that this practice encourages police officers to “increase officers’ use of force during interactions with citizens.”

“Another effect of this policy, procedure or custom was to encourage the use of excessive and unconstitutional force against citizens during arrests and other interactions with citizens,” the lawsuit says.

Policy changes

The Decatur City Council passed a vehicle repossession ordinance in May 2024. Tow truck operators must now notify Decatur police 30 minutes before a planned vehicle repossession. Proponents initially wanted to ban towing at night to prevent unsuccessful towings under cover of darkness, as was the case with Steve Perkins. Lige and Nicholas Perkins said they were happy with what was decided.

Advocates were encouraged by a contract approved in July for an external review of DPD’s procedures. The council hired a Huntsville-based threat assessment firm, Green Research and Technology, LLC, to evaluate the Decatur Police Department, review body camera footage and police reports, develop policy and procedure recommendations and more. The exam is scheduled to be completed in January.

Once the review is complete, Lige wants the council to create a community-led public safety advisory board to serve as another oversight body for the DPD.

“They had an old civilian review board, but it was appointed by the previous police chief, but now with (Decatur Police Chief) Todd Pinion, we don’t want him to appoint a board,” Lige said. “We have qualified, experienced citizens who have worked in law enforcement or some other form of government who can actually sit on a board and hold police accountable.”

Lige said the death of Steve Perkins led to a broader commitment to local issues. Many people began protesting because they cared about Steve and feared for their own safety, she said. Over the past year, they have attended countless protests, city council meetings and more. They became more aware of what was happening in the community and became an engaged and educated electorate.

“The community has a better understanding of what’s going on in the city and in their district,” Lige said. “Because of what happened to Steve, they are more involved in learning more about the leadership of this city. … Now people are going to city council meetings and looking at budgets and looking at how things affect where they live in the city.”