Tragedy in Homewood: 18-Year-Old Jabari Latrell Peoples Fatally Shot by Police During Late-Night Altercation at City Park; State Bureau Investigation Underway
HOMEWOOD, AL — A routine police encounter turned deadly Monday night when an 18-year-old man was fatally shot by a Homewood police officer during a confrontation at a city park. The victim has been identified by the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office as Jabari Latrell Peoples, a resident of Aliceville, Alabama.
The incident occurred shortly before 9:30 p.m. at Homewood Soccer Park, located in the 1800 block of South Lakeshore Drive near Columbiana Road. The park, which is typically closed to the public at that hour, was reportedly empty except for the people directly involved in the incident.
According to a statement by Sgt. Mark Trippe of the Homewood Police Department, the confrontation began when an officer responded to a suspicious vehicle parked at the location. The officer approached the vehicle to investigate, and that’s when a physical altercation reportedly broke out inside or near the vehicle.
Authorities allege that during the struggle, Jabari Peoples pulled a firearm. In response, the officer discharged their service weapon, striking Peoples. The number of shots fired and the precise sequence of events have not yet been made public.
Emergency medical personnel quickly arrived at the scene and transported Peoples to UAB Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:06 p.m. No officers were injured in the incident.
As per standard protocol for officer-involved shootings, the case has now been handed over to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). The SBI is tasked with conducting an independent and transparent investigation into the shooting.
“The SBI is reviewing all available evidence, including body camera footage if available, physical evidence, and witness interviews,” a spokesperson from the agency stated Tuesday morning. “Once the investigation is complete, our findings will be submitted to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office for review.”
The identity of the officer involved has not yet been released. It is also unclear whether the officer was alone or accompanied by additional units at the time of the encounter.
News of Jabari Peoples’ death has begun to spread across social media, where loved ones and community members from both Homewood and Aliceville have expressed sorrow, shock, and a deep desire for answers.
“He was still just a kid,” wrote one friend in a post on Facebook. “He didn’t deserve to die like this. We want to know what really happened.”
A small memorial has already formed near the entrance of Homewood Soccer Park, where candles, flowers, and notes left by mourners now mark the spot where the incident took place.
Community leaders are urging calm while also calling for transparency. Some activists have voiced concerns about the frequency of police-involved shootings involving young Black men, urging the city and state to release body camera footage as soon as possible.
“This is a tragedy for everyone involved,” said a local civil rights advocate. “We mourn the loss of life, and we call for a full, fair, and public investigation. The community deserves to know the truth.”
As of now, no charges have been filed, and no further details regarding what prompted the officer’s investigation into the vehicle have been disclosed.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information or video footage relevant to the incident is encouraged to contact the Alabama SBI.
Funeral arrangements for Jabari Latrell Peoples are expected to be announced by the family in the coming days.