The death of an unarmed 52-year-old man who died after an Alaba
ma police officer kneeled on his neck was ruled a homicide by a county coroner, according to an official autopsy reviewed by The Associated Press. The finding l
ed lawyers representing Phillip Reeder’s family on Monday to compare his death to that of George Floyd in 2020.
The report issued by the Jefferson County medical examiner’s office concludes Reeder, of Irondale, Alabam
a, died last August of heart failure “associated with cocaine use and restraint during altercation.”
Officers in the Alabama suburb 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Birmingham were dispatched to a local highway j
ust after 5 a.m. on August 6, 2024, after one of Reeder’s colleagues called 911 to report a medical e
mergency, according to Reeder’s wife, Sandra Lee Reeder. Phillip Reeder, who owned a construction company, was driving home from a job in Memphis, Tennessee, she said.
At the time, police said Reeder was wandering in and out of traffic when they approached him, according to AL.com.
Body camera video of Reeder’s death has not been released publicly, but Sandra Lee Reeder and her attorney
s said they reviewed it last week. A 2023 state law that governs release of police recordings says the Alabama Law En
forcement Agency may choose to not disclose the recording if it would affect an active law enforcement investigation.
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An email seeking comment from the Irondale police chief was sent Monday morning.
Sandra Lee Reeder said that the body camera footage shows her husband running from police when they arrived.
Police then shocked Reeder with a Taser, placed him in handcuffs and laid him on his stomach, she said. One officer put his knee on Reeder’s neck for over three minutes, she said.
Sandra Lee Reeder said her husband can be heard saying “I can’t breathe” three times.
The autopsy said Reed had multiple non-leathal wounds and bruising from the attempted arrest by the police. Sandra Lee Reeder said she could see he was bleeding from his face in the video.