Unarmed Alabama man’s demise dominated a murder after police officer kneeled on his neck
The demise of an unarmed 52-year-old man who died after an Alabama police officer kneeled on his neck was dominated a murder by a county coroner, in response to an official post-mortem reviewed by The Related Press. The discovering led attorneys representing Phillip Reeder’s household on Monday to match his demise to that of George Floyd in 2020.
The report issued by the Jefferson County health worker’s workplace concludes Reeder, of Irondale, Alabama, died final August of coronary heart failure “related to cocaine use and restraint throughout altercation.”
Officers within the Alabama suburb 10 miles from Birmingham have been dispatched to an area freeway simply after 5 a.m. on August 6, 2024, after one among Reeder’s colleagues referred to as 911 to report a medical emergency, in response to Reeder’s spouse, Sandra Lee Reeder. Phillip Reeder, who owned a building firm, was driving dwelling from a job in Memphis, Tennessee, she mentioned.
On the time, police mentioned Reeder was wandering out and in of visitors once they approached him, in response to AL.com.
Physique digital camera video of Reeder’s demise has not been launched publicly, however Sandra Lee Reeder and her attorneys mentioned they reviewed it final week.
“Phillip is heard clearly not as soon as, not twice, however thrice ‘I can not breathe. I can not breathe. I can not breathe,'” Sandra Lee Reeder mentioned at a information convention Monday, CBS affiliate WIAT-TV reported.
Mike Wukela / AP
A 2023 state legislation that governs launch of police recordings says the Alabama Regulation Enforcement Company might select to not disclose the recording if it will have an effect on an energetic legislation enforcement investigation.
An e-mail looking for remark from the Irondale police chief was despatched Monday morning.
Sandra Lee Reeder mentioned that the physique digital camera footage reveals her husband operating from police once they arrived. Police then shocked Reeder with a Taser, positioned him in handcuffs and laid him on his abdomen, she mentioned. One officer put his knee on Reeder’s neck for over three minutes, she mentioned.
“If I stand proper right here and rely to 120 seconds — quite a bit can occur. That is three minutes,” the household’s legal professional Harry Daniels mentioned, in response to WIAT. “A knee was on the again of his neck whereas he was in handcuffs.”
The post-mortem mentioned Reed had a number of non-lethal wounds and bruising from the tried arrest by the police. Sandra Lee Reeder mentioned she may see he was bleeding from his face within the video.
Reeder was unresponsive when the officer rolled him over onto his again, in response to the coroner’s report. He was pronounced lifeless at an area hospital simply after 6:30 a.m.
Daniels, the legal professional for the Reeder household, in contrast the fatality to the demise of George Floyd in 2020, which prompted months of protests and widespread scrutiny over police ways.
“This world was captivated and shocked about what occurred in 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 2024, the very same factor occurred,” Daniels mentioned at a information convention outdoors Irondale Metropolis Corridor on Monday.
Daniels mentioned that the one distinction between what occurred to Reeder and Floyd is race: Reeder was White and Floyd was Black. Reeder might have dedicated misdemeanor disorderly conduct by wandering into visitors, however “it isn’t warranted for a knee within the again – that’s lethal pressure,” he mentioned.
Reeder’s two sons mentioned that additionally they reviewed the physique digital camera video of their father’s final moments this month after virtually a 12 months of asking the native police division and state company for extra data.
“What I’ve gone by these previous 11 months mustn’t occur to any 19-year-old,” Zachariah Phillip Reeder mentioned.
WIAT reported town of Irondale supplied an announcement after the press convention, which reads partially:
The Metropolis of Irondale and the Irondale Police Division don’t agree with the characterization of occasions by Ms. Sandra Reeder concerning the demise of Phillip Reeder.
On 8/6/2024 at roughly 5:10 am, Irondale 911 obtained a number of calls concerning a white male topic (later recognized as Phillip Reeder) operating out and in of visitors on Freeway 78 close to Outdated Leeds Highway. Officers have been dispatched to the world and positioned the topic who seemed to be beneath the affect and behaving erratically. Regardless of a number of instructions to conform, Mr. Reeder continued operating within the street and shouting. As Mr. Reeder posed a hazard to himself and others, a Taser was deployed to deliver Mr. Reeder to the bottom and help officers with detaining Mr. Reeder. Even after deployment of the Taser, Mr. Reeder continued to withstand and wouldn’t comply with instructions of the officers. As soon as handcuffed, Mr. Reeder continued to battle and resist for nearly two minutes.
Officers did maintain Mr. Reeder to the bottom utilizing their arms solely. No knee was positioned behind his neck, and no extreme pressure was used. Mr. Reeder stopped resisting, and the officers realized that he had stopped respiratory. They instantly turned him over, checked for a pulse and started CPR till the paramedics arrived.
