Alabama Man's Death After Police Restraint Ruled Homicide, Sparking Controversy

A 52-year-old man, Phillip Reeder, died after an Alabama police officer knelt on his neck. A county coroner ruled the death a homicide, according to an official autopsy. Lawyers representing Reeder's family drew comparisons to the 2020 death of George Floyd.

The Jefferson County medical examiner's office determined that Reeder, of Irondale, Alabama, died last August of heart failure. The report indicated this was "associated with cocaine use and restraint during altercation."

Police were called to a local highway just after 5 a.m. on August 6, 2024, after a colleague of Reeder's reported a medical emergency. Reeder's wife, Sandra Lee Reeder, stated that her husband, who owned a construction company, was returning from a job in Memphis, Tennessee. Police reported that Reeder was wandering in and out of traffic when they approached him.

Body camera footage of Reeder's death has not been publicly released. However, Sandra Lee Reeder and her attorneys reviewed it. According to reports, Reeder is heard repeatedly saying, "I can't breathe." A state law governs the release of police recordings, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency may choose not to disclose the recording if it affects an active investigation.

Sandra Lee Reeder said the body camera footage shows her husband running from police. They then used a Taser on him, handcuffed him, and placed him on his stomach. She stated that an officer put his knee on Reeder's neck for over three minutes. The autopsy noted multiple non-lethal wounds and bruising from the arrest. Reeder was unresponsive when the officer rolled him over. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The family's attorney compared the death to that of George Floyd in 2020. He stated that the only difference between the two cases was race, with Reeder being White and Floyd being Black. He argued that even if Reeder had committed a misdemeanor, the use of a knee on his back constituted deadly force. Reeder's sons also viewed the body camera video.

The city of Irondale issued a statement after the press conference. The statement said the city and police department disagreed with Sandra Reeder's characterization of events. The statement described the events of that morning, including the calls to 911, Reeder's erratic behavior, and the use of a Taser. The statement claimed that officers did not use excessive force, and that no knee was placed on Reeder's neck.