Amanda Pevey
Elmore Autauga News
Attorneys representing the family of Jermaine Tyler are calling for transparency, the release of body camera footage, and an independent state investigation following his death after an encounter with the Prattville Police Department.
The request comes days after the Prattville Police Department released a May 20 statement outlining their account of the May 19 incident. According to the department, officers responded around 6:30 p.m. to Fairview Avenue and Diane Drive after multiple callers reported a man appearing intoxicated who was walking in and out of traffic and waving his arms.
PPD said officers made contact with Tyler and, due to what they described as “erratic behavior,” secured him while requesting medical assistance. Tyler then experienced a cardiac event while being evaluated by medics, was transported to Prattville Baptist Hospital, and later died. The department said the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office is investigating and that no further details will be released at this time.
During a Monday press conference at Serious Injury Law Group in Montgomery, attorneys Gerald Brooks and Brandon Price-Crum said the family has received limited information and raised concerns about inconsistencies in the department’s account.
Brooks criticized the use of the term “secured him,” calling it vague and insufficient.
“These ambiguous statements raise more questions than provide answers,” Brooks said. “There is no mention of Mr. Tyler being armed or posing a threat. There is no mention of him actively resisting. There is no mention of the type or degree of force used.”
Brooks said the family has launched an independent investigation and is seeking an independent autopsy. He also said the legal team is examining whether a taser may have been used during the encounter.
“If tasers were utilized, that raises more questions,” Brooks said. “Why were tasers utilized on this unarmed man who posed no threat?”
Price-Crum described Tyler as a brick mason employed by Long Willow Masonry who had been working in Bessemer with coworkers the day of the incident. He said Tyler and his coworkers were returning to Montgomery when Tyler began complaining of overheating and difficulty breathing. The group exited Interstate 65 in Prattville, where Tyler reportedly got out of the vehicle, allegedly seeking help from passing motorists.
“There is no report from the media that reflects that officers ever tased Jermaine,” Price-Crum said. “We have reason to believe Mr. Tyler may have been tased before the cardiac event.”
The attorneys said requests for body camera footage, dash camera video, and electronic control device records have been denied because the case remains under active investigation.
Brooks and Price-Crum are urging the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to take over the investigation, calling for an independent review. They also requested a meeting between the family and Prattville Police Chief Mark Thompson.
“If they helped him, prove it. If they saved him, show us,” Price-Crum said. “If they did not do anything wrong, release the footage.”
Price-Crum added that anyone with information, including video or surveillance footage, should contact the Serious Injury Law Group.
This is an active investigation and EAN will update as more information becomes available.
