Tuscaloosa, Alabama – Authorities announced on Monday that there will be no criminal charges filed against the Tuscaloosa Police officers involved in the fatal shooting of a man near Bowers Park in December. This decision followed a review of the evidence by a grand jury, concluding that the officers did not commit a crime. The incident took place on 37th Street shortly after noon on December 20th, 2023, when narcotics officers, who were not wearing body cameras, pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation, ultimately resulting in the death of 24-year-old Tristan Decederuc Clark.
Police stated that there was a warrant out for Clark’s arrest, and that he was armed at the time of the stop. Allegedly reaching for a gun in his waistband, Clark refused commands to drop it, prompting officers to fire their weapons multiple times, resulting in his death. Despite the absence of body camera footage, the grand jury determined that no crime had been committed by the officers involved in the shooting.
In a separate incident on Monday morning, a 45-year-old woman was fatally shot by Tuscaloosa Police officers. Commander Jack Kennedy of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit confirmed that the officers were acting to save the woman’s life, as she was being attacked with a knife by her mentally ill mother. The event was captured on two separate body cameras, providing footage that supported the officers’ actions.
Kennedy emphasized that the body camera footage from the latest shooting demonstrated the officers’ efforts to intervene and protect the woman from harm. For ongoing coverage of crime and court developments in west Alabama, the Tuscaloosa Thread remains a valuable resource. The community can rely on the Thread to stay informed about criminal incidents and legal proceedings in the area.