A report released Tuesday that took a critical look at the Mobile Police Department’s use of force, particularly in the Black community centered on six incidents, including the deaths of four Black men.
The report was compiled by an investigative team led by former U.S. Attorney Kenyen Brown and focused on the policies and procedures of the during the use of force within the agency.
And the report directs blame at the top of the agency, and on Mobile Police Chief Paul Prine specifically. The chief has been on suspension since earlier in the month.
Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said the report represented an effort to get out in front of a serious situation that Brown said -- if left unaddressed -- could lead to a federal takeover of the city’s policing, and a loss of local control over the agency.
Prine, who could be fired by the Mobile City Council next week, criticized the report and its allegations about unconstitutional behavior under his leadership as “Mr. Kenyen Brown’s opinion.”
The Mobile Police Department’s command staff is also preparing a report, according to an email from Major Philip McCrary. He called Brown’s report full of inaccuracies, assumptions and legal violations.
Mobile Interim Police Chief William “Randy” Jackson said he doesn’t “agree with all of the report’s findings.” He said the agency is taking a “hard look at every recommendation,” and is in the process of forming two committees to help determine a pathway forward. An internal committee made up of MPD leadership and staff “will take each recommendation into consideration and come up with a plan of action,” he said. And that plan would then be reviewed by an external committee made up of community members as well as professionals with a criminal justice background.
“I have full confidence in the MPD command staff to maintain the morale and discipline of the department as we move forward, ensuring that we continue to be among the best agencies in the country,” Jackson said.
Robert Clopton, president of the Mobile chapter of the NAACP, said he did not find anything about Brown’s report to be shocking. “Sadly, I didn’t hear anything new,” he said.
Brown’s report focuses on six incidents, all of which he described as including an improper use of force by police or another questionable circumstance such as seizing cell phones or detaining family members during police raids. The report is redacted, meaning names of officers and other officials were removed.
Here is a breakdown of those six incidents:
Nov. 13 fatal shooting of a 16-year-old at 3408 Sheringham Drive
What happened: During a pre-dawn raid, the MPD’s SWAT team along with Narcotics Unit entered a house in search of an 18-year-old man after receiving complaints about drug activity. While inside the house, they shot and killed his 16-year-old brother who had pointed a red laser at one of the officers. Police found a gun on the boy after they shot and killed him.
The concerns: Brown said the agency did not conduct a genuine evaluation of risk on the public on whether to utilize its SWAT team during the raid. Brown said in this incident, the SWAT team represented the policy agency’s “most aggressive tool” within its toolbox. It was also noted in the report that the SWAT team was utilized due to a manpower shortage within the division. Also concerning was the use of a SWAT team to investigate a concern over marijuana possession. Police also searched the 16-year-old’s cell phone after the incident, without a valid warrant. A further investigation revealed “preconceived notions” that everyone police are encountering are armed with a gun, are convicted felons and have violent histories.
Recommendations: Pre-dawn raids in which children are inside the house should be conducted later in the day. MPD should prioritize a “sanctity of life” whenever evaluating whether to commence a raid with its SWAT team. Increase anti-bias training and increase community involvement and engagement among police.
March 3, 2023, shooting death of Kordell Jones at 856 Charles St.
Kordell Jones
What happened: The agency’s SWAT team showed up to investigate Jones’ brother, who was suspected of a crime. Jones was not. During the pre-dawn raid, and with family inside the house, Jones – who was naked at the time and armed with an automatic weapon – fled the house. Police shot and killed him in what Brown said was a justified shooting over concerns about a man running armed through the community.
The concerns: Five other people inside the house, all of whom were innocent, were detained and taken to MPD’s headquarters. Brown said their transportation to police headquarters was unconstitutional. One of those transported was a 6-year-old girl. In addition, Brown said that police attempted to “demonize” Brown by conducting a forensic search of Jones’ cell phone. “It was alleged the information was sought so when MPD held a press conference, they could gather facts from the phone about the individual they used deadly force against may have been gang affiliated or a drug dealer,” Brown said. “Those facts are troubling.”
Recommendations: Mobile police should be careful and prioritize the sanctity of life when deploying its SWAT team for a raid of a house in which children are present. Written protocols and guidance should be published about transporting innocent bystanders to Mobile police headquarters.
July 2, 2023, death of Jawan Dallas while in police custody and after being stuck by a Taser
Jawan Dallas (Contributed)
What happened: Dallas, a 36-year-old Black man, was attempting to flee police while they were investigating a burglary in Theodore. Dallas was then placed in handcuffs, which was acceptable given that he was attempting to elude the officers, Brown said. He was also subdued by an officer’s Taser stun gun. But “what follows is troubling,” he said. Dallas repeatedly asks for medical assistance, called out for water, and claimed he did not feel good and was unable to breathe. Dallas also reportedly said he did not want to cause the officers any problems. “He was told by officers five times to shut the f**k up. He was in distress.” Dallas attempted to roll over onto his back, at which time an officer shouted, “if you move again, I’ll hit you in your mother f**king stomach.” Another officer got into a separate verbal altercation with a female bystander, threatening to “whoop you too.”
The concerns: Brown summed it this way, “How Mr. Dallas was treated in custody was unacceptable.” Dallas also did not receive adequate medical assistance once a Mobile County EMT arrived. “It’s all problematic for an individual in medical distress requesting medical support,” Brown said. During Brown’s interviews with MPD personnel, an officer within the agency told him that Dallas “is a piece of sh*t.” McCrary, with the Police Department, claims the officer never said this. Brown, in his report, said the statement was indicative of a serious problem with the MPD’s culture. The circumstances of Dallas’ death, caught on a police-worn body camera that has not been released publicly, is the subject of a $36 million federal lawsuit against the city.
Recommendations: Press conferences and briefings by MPD should focus on facts of a case, and not include judgements about the “value” or “worth” of arrestee. MPD needs to implement immediate de-escalation and ethics training. Brown, in his report, said if the training does not happen immediately, “this language and culture could lead to a severe, devastating and longstanding divide between police and the community.” The agency should also review and re-evaluate its Taser policy.
Oct. 3, 2023, death of Christopher Jones in Mobile after he was found sleeping on a roof
What happened: Christopher Jones was sleeping on a roof at 602 Glenwood St. when Mobile police showed up and began to belittle him and use profanity to urge him to leave the premises. Jones, as he fled the premises, pulled a gun out and pointed it at a police officer. The officer used deadly force, which Brown said was appropriate given the circumstances.
The concern: The fact that Jones was even approached and eventually killed unnecessary, Brown said. Jones, who had a mental illness, had been removed from the same rooftop a week earlier without incident. “The MPD dispatch did not share those facts with the officers in responding to the call,” Brown said. “The officers did not have enough community engagement to understand Mr. Jones had perceived mental health issues. The handling of this incident was the opposite of training with mentally ill people at the scene.”
Recommendations: Police should ban the use of threatening and profane language immediately in order to de-escalate violent incidents. Increase training in dealing with suspects who have mental health illnesses and send some officers to a specialized training as certified mental health trainers in Houston. Have officers more involved and aware of the community given that police on the scene did not know anything about Jones despite recent court records indicating he suffered from schizophrenia diagnosis and a failure to take his medicine.
Oct. 12, 2023, violent altercation with Beazer Dubose Jr. at a convenience store on Dauphin Island Parkway
What happened: Police stopped Dubose for driving with dark-tinted windows. Their initial interactions appeared to be polite, with Dubose responding that he was “blessed” and getting some gasoline for his car. The officer then orders Dubose out of the car and handcuffs him for having dark-tint windows. During the arrest, Dubose called out to a bystander to call his “old lady” and let her know he was being arrested by police. The officer then mocked him, yelling, “Call his momma, too.” The encounter between the two went sour and got violent. The officer reportedly struck Dubose with closed fists. Authorities said at the time that the police officer had to defend himself because Dubose allegedly grabbed his groin and twisted. But according to Brown’s report, the officer “did not complain a single time about pain in his groin area.” Brown said the officer did not seek medical care for three days after the incident, and only went to a doctor after it was posted on social media. The officer did, however, complain about pain to his hand after punching Dubose with a closed fist.
The concerns: The officer engaged in taunts, and engaged in activity that escalated a routine traffic stop into a violent altercation. The officer also only complained about Dubose reaching out to grab his genital area after Dubose yelled out for bystanders to record the police officer beating him. The officer did not seek out treatment for his alleged groin injury until three days after the altercation with Dubose and only after a video of the incident appeared on social media.
Recommendations: Mobile police should review and adopt comprehensive definitions of force and use of force to provide clarity and better understanding within the agency, and improve training on the use of force.
Oct. 17, 2023, body slamming of teenage girl at ACCEL Academy
What happened: A 16-year-old Black girl was body slammed by a police officer on Oct. 17, outside ACCEL Academy – a charter school in west Mobile. Brown’s team ruled the incident the result of “excessive force,” and a failure of the police officer to de-escalate the situation.
The concerns: The officer involved did not have his body camera turned on at the time. Before the incident happened, the girl had a verbal altercation with a school official was attempting to walk away from him. The school official then allegedly yanked the girl’s hair, turning her body 180-degrees.
Recommendations: Mobile police should provide de-escalation training to its officers designed to address concerns involving teenagers. The training should be coordinated with child psychologists, the Alabama Department of Youth Services, and other child and youth service specialists. Mobile police must establish a clear and comprehensive policy on the activation of body-worn cameras. Police also should establish a “performance review board” to examine body camera footage to assess use of force cases.
This story was updated at 6:08 a.m. on April 25, 2024, to include the statement from Interim Police Chief William “Randy” Jackson.