by SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
BIRMINGHAM — For the family of Otis Lee Phillips Jr., a ruling that his killing by police was justified has not brought closure. Instead, it has deepened a community call for answers, transparency and accountability.
Phillips, 50, was fatally shot Aug. 24 on Avenue I in Ensley. Police said officers responded to reports of a man waving a gun and firing toward a home. Authorities said an officer ordered Phillips to drop the weapon and fired when he advanced.
Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr concluded that Phillips was armed and endangered residents. Phillips was the fifth person killed by Birmingham police in less than 12 months. Four shootings have been ruled justified; another decision remained pending, according to AL.com.
That record has intensified concern among Black Lives Matter activists. Co-founder Eric Hall said members are “mad as hell” and the family deserves answers. Activists began seven days of peaceful protest outside police headquarters and called for surveillance and body-camera video.
The Rev. W. Taft Harris, pastor of The Tabernacle Fellowship of Birmingham, asked who defines “justified” and who answers grieving families. His questions echo a concern: a legal finding does not erase a family’s loss or the public’s need for an accounting.
Relatives believe Phillips — a father, businessman and security officer — may have been experiencing a mental-health crisis. Activists are urging stronger crisis response, de-escalation and mental-health resources so encounters do not end in death.
Carr invited the family to discuss the investigation. Hall said relatives will meet with him while continuing to seek evidence and video. Activists said the demonstrations will follow the family’s wishes as it pursues the truth about Phillips’ final moments.