Arrest toll for Steve Perkins protesters climbs as Decatur citizens continue demanding answers

Protests for Steve Perkins continue more than two months after Decatur police officers shot and killed Perkins in his front yard.

Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling is holding the disciplinary hearings this week for the officers involved in Perkins’ death.

As Bowling works to decide the fate of the officers, protesters gather outside his home demanding justice for Perkins.

Terrence Baker says he was peacefully protesting in Bowling’s neighborhood on the sidewalk Tuesday night when Decatur police showed up.

The Decatur Police Department says police responded to complaints from residents on Dec. 5 for a group of demonstrators with a megaphone.

Baker says police told the protesters to disperse and within a minute he was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

“After he gave us the order to disperse, I was just asking a question, ‘Oh are we going to jail?’, and before I could get jail out of my mouth he pointed at me on my shoulder and told the other guys to arrest me,” Baker said.

Baker says he was protesting in Bowling's neighborhood the night before and feels Decatur police targeted him by coming straight to him when they arrived on scene.

“We were there quietly, we were walking back and forth, we were practicing our first amendment right to protest,” Baker said.

The racial justice group, Standing in Power, confirmed more than 30 people have been arrested at Perkins protests following the Sept. 29 shooting.

Baker says the police department should be worried about bigger problems than arresting people who are peacefully protesting.

“Instead of the city officials helping us get this justice, helping us protest, they're basically trying to shut us down, trying to shut us up, and we're just fighting for justice,” Baker continued. “You’re killing the people that are fighting for justice instead of giving us justice for the murder of Steve Perkins,” Baker said.

“You’re [Decatur PD] just trying to shut us up so the world won’t hear the justice, won’t hear that we need justice here in Decatur, Alabama,” Baker said.

Baker has since been bailed out of the Morgan County Jail by the Underground Protest Bail Fund.

When police were asked why Baker was arrested, they said to refer to the Alabama criminal code of disorderly conduct.

Alabama Criminal Code § 13A-11-7; Disorderly Conduct:

(a) A person commits the crime of disorderly conduct if, with intent to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof, he or she does any of the following:

(1) Engages in fighting or in violent tumultuous or threatening behavior.

(2) Makes unreasonable noise.

(3) In a public place uses abusive or obscene language or makes an obscene gesture.

(4) Without lawful authority, disturbs any lawful assembly or meeting of persons.

(5) Obstructs vehicular or pedestrian traffic, or a transportation facility.

(6) Congregates with other person in a public place and refuses to comply with a lawful order of law enforcement to disperse.

(b) Disorderly conduct is a Class C misdemeanor.

Baker says people will be protesting every day until there is justice for Steve and the citizens of Decatur.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency has no updates on the Perkins investigation at this time.