Six Arrested in Homewood at BLM Protest over Jabari Peoples Shooting by Homewood Police Officer

Tensions rose Friday afternoon as Homewood police arrested six demonstrators marching downtown. The group pressed for clarity in the June 23 police killing of 18-year-old Jabari Peoples.

Around 2 p.m., protesters converged on 18th Street South, where they blocked traffic while walking and driving toward city hall. Nearly a dozen officers responded swiftly, placing several individuals under arrest. Three were also charged with carrying firearms during a demonstration, and one faces additional charges for resisting arrest. A vehicle involved in the protest was towed by police.

Three of the six arrested were reportedly from Alabama, with the remaining three being from Louisiana. All six were bonded out from the Homewood City Jail. A nearby Walmart was the site of a suspected arson tied to protest participants. No injuries were reported, and authorities are reviewing surveillance footage of the incident.

Porchse Miller from Black Lives Matter Grassroots in Atlanta was among the demonstrators. “The police came up and just started arresting people. There was no warning to get on the sidewalk or get in a public space and do what we had to do. And it got real hectic, real fast,” Miller said.

Melina Abdullah, who traveled from Los Angeles, added:

“The DA's office, the police department, ALEA, and the state are all working together to protect the police when they should be protecting Black people. And so, the people have to step up and protect black people.”

Following the arrests, the march continued to City Hall, where demonstrators raised bullhorns toward upper-floor windows—hoping local leaders, including the Mayor, would hear their calls.

The protesters demand release of all available footage related to the June 23 shooting of Jabari Peoples at a Homewood soccer complex. They want the officer’s name disclosed and charges of murder filed.

Yet official accounts differ. Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr ruled the shooting “justified,” stating that Peoples grabbed a firearm during a struggle—holding it in his right hand—when the officer fired. Thus, no criminal charges were filed.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), which now holds the body-camera footage, has declined to release it—citing a 2023 state law that allows this if disclosure could impair an active investigation.

State Representative and attorney Juandalyn Givan—who helped draft Alabama’s body-camera law—expressed deep concern that only portions of the footage were shown to the family. She emphasized that while custodial agencies control public release, families are entitled to the full unedited version.

The official autopsy report has been completed, but public release remains blocked at ALEA’s request until the investigation concludes. An independent autopsy reportedly determined that Peoples had been shot in the back.

The family—represented by civil rights lawyer Ben Crump—says the videos shown to them were short and possibly edited. “We believe that this is much more unedited video that the family and community has a right to view,” Crump commented. Angel Smith, Peoples’ sister, said:

“Today what I saw on that video, my brother was afraid, he was scared [and] he was running for his life.”

They continue to push for full transparency and accountability—asserting that truth must come first.