Steve Perkins death: Albama Cop released within 36 minutes after indictment for shooting father-of-two

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

ALABAMA, UNITED STATES: Just 36 minutes were spent in jail by a former Alabama police officer who was charged with murder 98 days after he fatally shot a man in front of his own house during an altercation with a tow truck driver.

Steve Perkins, 39, was shot and killed on September 29, 2023, by 23-year-old police officer Mac Bailey Marquette. The incident occurred when a tow truck driver attempted to reclaim Perkins' truck with the assistance of multiple officers.

Charges against police officer Mac Bailey Marquette

Marquette was charged with murder by a grand jury after he was accused of purposefully killing Perkins by shooting him with a pistol while giving the officer only a split second to obey.

Following his booking, Marquette posted his $30,000 bond almost immediately. The Alabama Political Reporter then stated that he was freed, according to the DailyMail's report.

During a press conference, Morgan County District Attorney Scott Anderson declared, "The job now falls to me and my office to prosecute this case and seek justice."

"It's not easy for me to be in the position of prosecuting an officer, but in this circumstance, it's the right thing to do," said the officer.

Anderson stated that only one of the four officers present that night fired a weapon, killing Perkins. He said he agreed with the grand jury's decision to exonerate the other three officers—Joey Williams, Vance Summers, and Christopher Mukkadam—of any misconduct.

Before this, Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling declared that one officer was suspended and three of the four officers were fired for going against departmental policy.

"There were four officers at the scene when this incident occurred, and there was only one officer who fired any shot," declared DA Anderson.

"After having considered all of the facts and evidence in the case, the grand jury agreed unanimously that there were no violations with regards to the laws of the state of Alabama against any other officer."

The shooting was captured on tape from a neighbor's home security camera, which WAFF-TV released.

Steve Perkins' death sparked outrage

In the video, Perkins leaves his home and the tow truck pulls back into the driveway. When the officers suddenly emerged from across the street and from the side of the house where they had been waiting, they did not identify themselves.

Perkins can be heard yelling, "Hey, put my truck down," just before armed police officers emerge from their hiding places. "Hey, hey!" yells one of them at him. "Police! Get on the ground!" as the officers open fire on him, they yell before eighteen shots are fired in quick succession.

Just feet away, as the man draws his last breaths, an Allstar Recovery driver can be seen driving off with his truck. The man's last words are reported to have been "help."

New footage of Steve Perkins' death, shared by Decatur Daily, has sparked outrage in Decatur, Alabama. The footage shows officers standing over Perkins' body after gunning him down, with the tow driver making off with his white GMC Sierra.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency claims Perkins was armed with a handgun and brandished the weapon towards an officer, causing the officer to fire at him.

Perkins' family claims officers essentially ambushed him as he came out of his home, and that Perkins did not seem aware of their presence. The incident highlights the police's policy of not announcing themselves and creeping up into people's properties.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family, which has raised over $74,000 since being launched. Police Chief Todd Pinion has apologized for the inaccurate description of the encounter and promised transparency in sharing information.

Rodney Gordon, president of the Morgan County branch of the NAACP, believes that video from the night of Perkins' death shows police weren't following the right procedures and that the shooting could have been avoided.