A 41-year-old Black man, John Scott Jr., passed away Tuesday after he had been in the hospital for a week after his arrest in Decatur, Alabama. Scott was punched and Tasered by police during the arrest, but it is not certain what his death was caused by.
Scott’s killing has reignited anger in Decatur, which was already agitated by the trial of a white officer indicted for murder after shooting and killing another Black man, Steve Perkins, in 2023. The police haven’t released the names or the races of officers who participated in Scott’s arrest.
Rodney Gordon, a local NAACP chapter president, said, “Here we go again. We said that this was going to continue, based on what took place when Steve Perkins passed away. They changed the police chief, but they have the same players continuing to play the game. How can you not switch the officers and then hope for different outcomes?”
Interim police Chief Nadis Carlisle said the state and FBI are investigating, requesting patience during the continuing inquiry. Scott was taken into custody on April 15 when his mother called the police, concerned he was experiencing a mental health crisis because he was not taking his medication. An hour earlier, officers had evaluated him with a mental health liaison who found that he was not a threat. When Scott’s mother called the police again, a new set of officers responded. The body cam video depicts Scott looking disoriented and sweating extensively, refusing to get into the ambulance. Officers tried to restrain him when Scott had resisted arrest.
The video captures Scott getting punched and Tased after he stumbled onto the ground and struggled to obey.
While being put into the police vehicle, Scott was overheard repeatedly saying sorry and cursing about how he could not breathe. The officers subsequently covered his head with a hood after Scott reportedly attempted to spit on them. Just a few minutes after being transported to the county jail, Scott began to exhibit signs of medical distress and was hospitalized, where he passed away a week later.
Prior to his death, authorities indicated he possibly was experiencing ‘excited delirium’, a disputed state frequently associated with police brutality which is no longer endorsed by numerous medical professionals. Protests began in Decatur, especially since the fatal officer-involved shooting of Steve Perkins by former Decatur officer Mac Marquette.
