MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- In 2016, white police officer Aaron Smith shot and killed Greg Gunn, an unarmed Black man walking home from work in Montgomery. Today, Smith tried to plead for immunity based on self-defense using Alabama's stand-your-ground laws, but was denied by the judge. He is scheduled to go to trial for murder on August 13.
Too often our judiciary does not hold police officers accountable for acts of brutality among black and brown communities – our hope is to see a shift in these policies and practices. Accountability for these abuses is necessary to build community trust in both the police and the judiciary. The ACLU of Alabama is encouraged to see this case go to a full, open, and transparent trial to let our justice system take its course.
