Mobile City Attorney Grants Family Access: Mobile, Ala. In response to the shooting of 16-year-old Jawan Dallas by a Mobile Police officer, Mobile city attorney Ricardo Woods announced that the family will be granted access to view the police body camera footage.
“We’re in the process of allowing the family to view the body camera footage within the next 24 hours,” stated Woods.
Jawan Dallas’ family has persistently sought to review the police body camera footage since Dallas’s death on July 2nd after being tased by a Mobile Police officer. However, their requests were repeatedly denied.
The differing treatment of families in accessing the footage raised concerns, with Pastor Leonard Whitfield stating, “You tell one family that I’m going to let you see it, but you tell another family I’m not.”
Mayor Sandy Stimpson explained the distinction, noting that there have been no grand jury subpoenas by the district attorney in this case, providing the city with room to reach out to the family.
In a move towards increased transparency, the Mobile City Council is considering an ordinance that could shed more light on police body camera footage. The proposed ordinance challenges a 2021 Alabama Supreme Court ruling that restricts the public release of such footage. A state law passed in 2023 allows individuals appearing in the footage, or their representatives in case of death, to review the recording. The city ordinance proposes that recordings “shall be disclosed in response to any properly made request,” and if denied, the city must provide an explanation.
Councilman C.J. Small emphasized the importance of transparency, stating, “Transparency is the key, and that’s what the community has wanted. The council is trying their best to make sure that the footage, the cameras are available to the public, as long as we follow the state law.”
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