Mitchell Proposes Review Team for Police Shootings
AG candidate Jay Mitchell outlines a new team to review officer-involved shootings, aiming to ensure fair, fact-based decisions
Alabama Attorney General candidate Jay Mitchell has unveiled a proposal to create a Statewide working group aimed at reviewing officer-involved shootings and other critical incidents.
The proposed body, called the Critical Incident Assessment Team, or CIAT, would provide early analysis of such cases and deliver findings directly to the Attorney General’s Office.
Mitchell said the group would be led by Bill Partridge and John Samaniego, alongside a team of experienced law enforcement leaders from across Alabama.
Under the plan, the CIAT would review body camera footage and available evidence, assess officer actions under current law and policing standards, and produce a formal, independent review. The team would also brief the Attorney General’s Executive Office in real time as cases develop.
Mitchell framed the effort as a way to bring consistency and clarity to high-stakes decisions that often unfold under intense public scrutiny.
“This proactive approach will enable the Attorney General’s Office to track cases from the outset, ensuring that decisions are grounded in facts—not politics or public pressure,” Mitchell said.
He added that the team’s findings could serve as a resource for local prosecutors faced with early charging decisions in complex cases.
Mitchell also pointed to the case of Cody Smith as a driving force behind the proposal, citing what he described as a wrongful prosecution that exposed gaps in the current system.
Mitchell made a hard pledge: “When I am Attorney General, my office will not support wrongful prosecutions of law enforcement. It’s not enough to plead out innocent officers after they’ve been railroaded—my goal as Attorney General is to fix the system and prevent wrongful prosecutions before they happen.”
Partridge said the initiative could help restore trust among officers and the public alike.
“Officers in the line of duty need to know they don’t stand alone—and that if an incident occurs, their actions will be reviewed fairly at the highest level,” Partridge said. “That’s how you restore confidence in the system.”
Samaniego emphasized the need for speed and objectivity in reviewing critical incidents.
“It is paramount for a group like the CIAT to review these officer-involved incidents quickly and thoroughly to ensure that facts—not politics or conjecture—drive cases,” he said.
For more information about Jay Mitchell’s campaign, visit jayforalabama.com.
