Family of O.J. French Calls for Transparency in Bay Minette Police Shooting Investigation
Relatives and supporters of O.J. French, who was fatally shot by Bay Minette police during an Aug. 20 traffic stop, are seeking answers about the investigation.
BAY MINETTE, Ala. — Family members and supporters of O.J. French are calling for transparency in the investigation into his death. French, 32, was shot and killed Aug. 20 after Bay Minette police pulled him over for a vehicle equipment violation.
Questions About the Official Report
The Rev. Sam White, who graduated from high school with French’s older sister, Tamara, spoke at an event on behalf of the family. White said there needs to be transparency in the investigation.
Reading from the official report, White quoted: “‘Once Mr. French exited the vehicle, he would not comply with the officer’s instructions.'” He then said, “Some things already aren’t adding up for me. What instructions? He wasn’t under arrest. He wasn’t being held in custody. It seems like the community needs some answers.”
Major Crimes Unit Review
The shooting is being reviewed by the Baldwin County Major Crimes Unit (BCMCU), which reviews the actions of officers working for its member agencies. The unit’s members are Bay Minette Police Chief Al Tolbert, its current chairman; Robertsdale Police Chief Brad Kendrick; Baldwin County Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack; Gulf Shores Police Chief Edward Delmore; Daphne Police Chief David Carpenter; and Foley Police Chief Thurston Bullock.
Officials with the Major Crimes Unit, the Baldwin County Commission and the City of Bay Minette have released little public information about the shooting.
Related Cases and Records
In a separate case, Judge William Cassady in April 2021 denied qualified immunity to Baldwin County Sheriff’s Deputy Hunady, who shot Jonathan Victor four times during a 2017 traffic stop, and to Sheriff Mack in a civil lawsuit over that shooting. The Sheriff’s Office has appealed the ruling. The claims in that suit have not been decided.
The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled against a Mobile media outlet that sued the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office for investigative records related to the Victor shooting. The court upheld a Baldwin County ruling that the records sought, including dash and body camera footage, are exempt from the state’s open records law because they are “investigative,” even though the investigation had been closed. The court’s chief justice dissented on the question of the state’s public records law.
Mack previously told the Baldwin County Commission that he needed $600,000 for cameras, which he said would provide transparency and accountability to the public and to police.
