[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6267606,"mediaKeyId","3069348-ead05c757423b0717fd9cff4763e4e11","parentId",3069348,"title","Decatur residents demand accountability after video showing police use of force; council removes SRO MOU but names mayor ALM voting delegate","audioSeconds",4703,"startMs",2560000,"endMs",7263000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3069348-ead05c757423b0717fd9cff4763e4e11&start=2560&end=7263","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3069348-ead05c757423b0717fd9cff4763e4e11/thumbnail_2560000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6267606/Decatur-City/Morgan-County/Alabama/Decatur-residents-demand-accountability-after-video-showing-police-use-of-force-council-removes-SRO-MOU-but-names-mayor-ALM-voting-delegate","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6267606-10ff9bce7e2c9d24b4b611098c91a752/orig.mp4?Expires=1770608480&Signature=FZ69eUOXnrb6uYTDyZWMq6ZM424gHNiU37Pp-ciIZI77ytC0AexcQ2npUtnItfp4H4EIwHbRC42j7f81X2OuPa-nsCHMQH2z917oN6lCO-A3B-GfMpA0yjLLROG2VodJzxeZ302-9EKcivz3d-Di9vBeqlbuV2GOsrXE2HJhatpkeW~wDctOX2~bpFN~WRKH6cldBQiNxeazInOUI3NoyZ3B~eVRKIId6Vhvpp2-ahr5PZpGr~Bi1fTeqeYcnXZgkI7vRwcu6QeVkSmIN6Ml6VXdyKoALP6NcqixG2ZB4YLTTfsBC2Y0N3LbYPvpuL1pi9EseSwq0GyIUWplbwkqSg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Decatur City, AL","date","2025-04-21T16:31:19.547Z","article","Residents and family members pressed the Decatur City Council on Tuesday over a widely shared video that shows Decatur police using force during an encounter with John D. “LJ” Scott Jr., who was treated at hospitals afterward and required dialysis, speakers said. Public commenters said the footage shows officers tasing and repeatedly striking Scott while he experienced a mental-health crisis.

The comments came during the council’s agenda-related public-comment period, where several residents demanded more transparency, questioned how body-camera footage was handled and urged steps such as additional mental-health staffing, independent review and changes in police leadership. The council removed an agenda item to renew the memorandum of understanding for School Resource Officers (SROs) with Decatur City Schools but later approved the mayor’s designation as the city’s voting delegate to the Alabama League of Municipalities (ALM).

The meeting’s public commenters said Scott was frightened and should have been treated as a person in medical or mental-health distress. Several speakers, including family members and community advocates, described Scott’s condition after the encounter as critical: they said he was unresponsive at times, was placed in a medically induced coma and has suffered kidney failure requiring dialysis. Those medical details were presented by public speakers and attributed to hospital updates relayed in the meeting; the council did not announce medical findings in the public record.

Several commenters questioned the city’s mental-health response capacity. Multiple speakers said the city has only one named mental-health liaison and called for backup coverage or a 24/7 response option so officers have alternatives to arrest or force in crisis calls. Those commenters said the department’s approach has focused on arrest rather than de-escalation.

Resident Sarah French urged the council not to authorize Mayor Tabb Bowling to represent Decatur at the ALM event, saying, \"Please do not send this man to represent our city at this event.\" Despite those public appeals, the council later approved the ALM voting-delegate designation by roll call.

Speakers at the meeting also criticized release and handling of body-camera footage. Resident Lisa Curtin told the council she had been given conflicting accounts about when and how footage would be released and accused a city official of providing inaccurate information to Scott’s family.

On personnel and oversight, Human Resources Director Michelle Sandlin told the council she would move forward with the HR process for the city’s police chief recruitment and that background checks and next steps were underway for a candidate, Captain Tory Mack. Several council members said they expected an update on the recruitment process the following Monday.

The council removed the SRO memorandum of understanding from the agenda “for today,” saying staff and council needed more time to discuss and reach firm understanding with Decatur City Schools. The removal halted any immediate council action on authorizing SROs under the proposed MOU.

The public comment period included multiple calls for broader change to the police department, including demands for independent investigation and for new transparency policies governing release of body-camera video and internal‑affairs procedures. Several speakers linked the latest incident to earlier cases that have generated community concern about use of force.

The council did not take a substantive vote at the meeting on changing body‑camera policy or on adding mental‑health staff; instead, staff and council members said they would explore options and provide additional information in coming days. The council did vote to advance personnel steps in the police-chief hiring process and to approve the ALM voting delegate designation.

City officials present included Mayor Tabb Bowling and representatives from human resources and the planning and legal staff; members of the public representing families and community groups made extended remarks and demanded specific remedies and investigations.

Community advocates said the outcome of the recruitment and of the city’s internal review processes — and whether the council adopts changes to mental-health response and body-camera transparency — will determine next steps for public pressure and possible legal or policy actions.

An item the public flagged earlier in the meeting, the SRO MOU with Decatur City Schools, was not acted on; the ALM voting‑delegate designation (resolution 25‑0‑6‑8) was approved by roll call during the same meeting.

The council scheduled follow-up items and said staff would provide updates on the police‑chief hiring timeline and on any internal reviews. Public commenters said they would return to future meetings until they saw further action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Agenda Work Session & Council Meeting 04:21:25","oneSentenceSummary","Residents and family members pressed the Decatur City Council on Tuesday over a widely shared video that shows Decatur police using force during an encounter with John D. “LJ” Scott Jr., who was treated at hospitals afterward and required dialysis, speakers said.","taxTitle","Decatur City, Morgan County, Alabama","taxId",5148,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6267601,"Council approves routine licenses, demolition assessments, grants and an annexation moratorium; ad valorem levy introduced",457,3187000,3644000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3069348-ead05c757423b0717fd9cff4763e4e11&start=3187&end=3644","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3069348-ead05c757423b0717fd9cff4763e4e11/thumbnail_3187000.jpg","/articles/6267601/Decatur-City/Morgan-County/Alabama/Council-approves-routine-licenses-demolition-assessments-grants-and-an-annexation-moratorium-ad-valorem-levy-introduced","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6267601-9182a8c0cc5dfe1787f8be90a8b0f714/orig.mp4?Expires=1770608480&Signature=Fh9r2Kf43kWGfgefXAcsKSX7rU-nXOSTmbUK15FTybKnLQ~AB0mzZMiXXVCfERX~UdRXMcDrImgWDc75KcNuXm3z5CTX9o2V5CO~McZCQdUWUwjSs~cuURIBk7ZXNzjRAgpENvUKWBBPCP7II49TdIDN8g3494jfRLZVYSiqla1XXBcuJfmaFtpwo7wHawEMZTJ7nxEGL8Pt4dL9pw44ZY4tWW7-XxnyFdjnxdNaphs3PCxZyBh6Wzku63erentCgFfZCQbAZHJsDrF~HXfXdSAp5a4YT6JHJBmToyz7hHJFKHxkCjJetf4aDx7z7GMn3ASclYYDa6yBj6LtmV58-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Decatur City Council approved a series of routine resolutions and took preliminary action on several ordinances during its pre‑meeting work session.

Key votes included approval of monthly bills and minutes; a Class I lounge license for the Little Cigar Shop at 110 Second Avenue NE (resolution 25‑0‑6‑1); a special-event retail liquor license for the Greater Morgan County Builders Association’s Kentucky Derby drawdown at Ingalls Harbor (resolution 25‑0‑6‑2); and two demolition‑cost assessments for abatement of unsafe structures (resolution 25‑0‑6‑3: assessment of $8,330 for 718 Cashion Street NW; resolution 25‑0‑6‑4: assessment of $5,340 for 25 Old Trinity Road NW). Each of those resolutions passed on roll call as recorded in the meeting.

Council also authorized execution of the Morgan County EMA Browns Ferry Emergency Planning and Response Agreement (resolution 25‑0‑6‑5) under federal guidelines, approved an annexation moratorium to run through Sept. 30 to allow zoning and polling location work (resolution 25‑0‑6‑6), and approved an MOU designation for the city’s ALM voting delegate and alternates (resolution 25‑0‑6‑8).

Staff presented grant applications that the council approved to pursue: a transition-to-digital design-review grant for the Architectural Review Board (resolution 25‑0‑6‑9) and a grant to fund a historic survey of the Walter Jackson Elementary School neighborhood (resolution 25‑0‑7‑0). Both grant applications, if awarded, will be added to the city’s grant‑match budget after awards are announced and would not affect the current fiscal year budget, staff said.

The council approved replacement of a chlorine tank at Pointe Mallard Aquatic Center and accepted the staff recommendation to pursue a less costly chlorine supplier. Council moved forward on annexation requests for specified properties (ordinance 25‑4606 and others) after public hearings with no speakers. The Alabama Fiber Network franchise agreement (ordinance 25‑4607) — part of the state’s broadband expansion — was presented by staff and then approved; staff said Alabama Fiber Network is a state‑sponsored contractor working statewide.

In ordinance business the city introduced the annual ad valorem tax levy for FY 2026 (ordinance 25‑468) in first reading; staff emphasized there is no proposed increase to the ad valorem tax rate and that state law requires the rate confirmation process in May.

Several agenda items passed unanimously on roll call votes recorded in the meeting transcript; where an item was only introduced it will return for final adoption later in May, per the city’s schedule.

Votes at a glance (selected items from meeting record):
- Approve March 2025 monthly bills — motion passed (roll call: unanimous).
- Resolution 25‑0‑6‑1 — Class I lounge license for Little Cigar Shop, 110 Second Ave NE — approved (roll call unanimous).
- Resolution 25‑0‑6‑2 — Special-event retail liquor license, Greater Morgan County Builders Association, Kentucky Derby drawdown at Ingalls Harbor (05/03/2025) — approved (roll call unanimous).
- Resolution 25‑0‑6‑3 — Assess demolition costs $8,330, 718 Cashion St. NW — approved (roll call unanimous).
- Resolution 25‑0‑6‑4 — Assess demolition costs $5,340, 25 Old Trinity Rd. NW — approved (roll call unanimous).
- Resolution 25‑0‑6‑5 — Morgan County EMA Browns Ferry Emergency Planning and Response Agreement — approved (roll call unanimous).
- Resolution 25‑0‑6‑6 — Annexation moratorium to Sept. 30, 2025 — approved (roll call unanimous).
- Resolution 25‑0‑6‑8 — Designate voting delegate/alternates for ALM business session (05/15/2025) — approved (roll call unanimous).
- Resolution 25‑0‑6‑9 — Application for digital design‑review grant — approved to apply (roll call unanimous).
- Resolution 25‑0‑7‑0 — Application for historic survey grant for Walter Jackson Elementary School neighborhood — approved to apply (roll call unanimous).
- Ordinance 25‑468 — Annual ad valorem tax levy for FY 2026 — introduced (first reading); staff said there is no proposed rate increase; final adoption expected at a May meeting.
- Ordinance 25‑4607 — Alabama Fiber Network franchise agreement (broadband expansion) — approved after public hearing (roll call unanimous).

Council scheduled the next work session and regular meeting and directed staff to return grant‑award language and related budget match items if the grants are awarded. Several items (noted above) were introduced in first reading and will return for formal adoption at later meetings.","At the pre-meeting work session the Decatur City Council approved multiple routine resolutions including liquor and special-event licenses, demolition-cost assessments, catalogued grant applications and an annexation moratorium; the annual ad valorem tax levy ordinance was introduced in first reading with no rate increase.","actionData","errors"]

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Decatur residents demand accountability after video showing police use of force; council removes SRO MOU but names mayor ALM voting delegate

Council approves routine licenses, demolition assessments, grants and an annexation moratorium; ad valorem levy introduced