Jabari Peoples

People

Jabari Peoples

On June 23, 2025, Jabari Peoples, an 18-year-old Black man and recent high school graduate, was shot and killed by a Homewood Police officer in the parking lot of the Homewood Soccer Complex in Homewood, Alabama, an affluent suburb of Birmingham. According to police, the officer approached a vehicle where Peoples and his girlfriend were parked after smelling marijuana and noticing a handgun in the driver's side door pocket. Police claimed that during an attempted arrest for marijuana possession, Peoples grabbed the gun and the officer fired in self-defense. However, an independent autopsy commissioned by the family and conducted in Atlanta revealed that Peoples was shot in the back with no exit wound. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the family, stated that this finding contradicted the police narrative. Peoples' girlfriend maintained that he was unarmed and complied with the officer's commands. The family demanded release of body camera footage, which authorities initially withheld. Peoples' father, William Peoples, stated at a press conference: "Show us the video." On August 1, 2025, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency completed its investigation and turned over bodycam footage to the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office. On August 6, 2025, District Attorney Danny Carr announced that no criminal charges would be filed against the officer, stating that the video showed Peoples grabbing a weapon from the car door before being shot. The DA confirmed Peoples was shot in the back as he fell to the ground while still holding the gun. The officer's identity has not been publicly released. The case drew comparisons to other high-profile police shootings of unarmed Black individuals and sparked community protests in Aliceville, Peoples' hometown.