Family, Wiregrass residents address council on police shooting

HEADLAND—Robert Lowe said he couldn’t say all he wanted to in three minutes.

But what he reiterated at the beginning and end of his comments to the Headland council on Monday was his anger and hurt in the actions preceding the death of his son, 33-year-old Opatrick Fitzgerald Humphrey, last week.

Lowe was among dozens of Headland residents, ministers and activists that attended the Headland council meeting on Monday to address concerns of Headland police officers’ actions over the last year and particularly on Jan. 31, when Humphrey was shot by at least one officer responding to a medical call about 4:30 a.m.

Lowe said his son was mentally ill and likely scared at the time of the incident, but was not a violent person that should have been killed.

“I think I’d be less than a man and a father if I sit here and say it’s OK for the situation that happened with my son. I’m not satisfied with it. I’ve asked why there was no stun gun, no pepper spray – this is a mentally retarded child,” Lowe told councilmen.

According to police, Humphrey assaulted two paramedics and a Headland officer outside a home in the 200 block of Hollon Street. He suffered two gunshot wounds – one that grazed his chest and a fatal wound to the abdomen, according to previous reports. He died that afternoon at Southeast Alabama Medical Center.

Authorities said two police officers were also taken to SAMC for treatment, one for minor cuts and bruises and the other for emotional distress.

Both officers were placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation.

Tom Hawthorne, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, said Monday he believed the council should address officers’ potential misuse of authority.

“My vehicle was searched when I was stopped after driving 46 miles per hour in a 45-mile zone about three weeks ago. I want to know if that’s justice, if it’s something that happened to every one in this area. I don’t think so,” he said.

Headland Mayor Ray Marler said he couldn’t comment on the case because it remained under investigation, but he acknowledged the town had complaints of at least one officer involved in the shooting in the past and had addressed those complaints.

“It’s not appropriate at this time to comment but when we get the information we need we’ll be glad to share it,” he said.

Les Whiddon, a longtime resident, said he hoped for justice for all involved in the case.

“It doesn’t seem like justice for an unarmed man to be shot to death. Things could have gonea different way. If we don’t stand up, who will?” he asked.

Rev. Kenny Glasgow of The Ordinary People Society recommended a sort of citizen committee in Headland so issues with authorities could be addressed by both the elected officials and the residents on the committee.

“This is not a racial issue – right now we have .an officer in grief and a family member that’s dead. This is about the community … so we don’t have to meet on terms like this,” he said