DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — A judge ruled a temporary gag order in the murder case of former Decatur Police Officer Mac Bailey Marquette will remain for now, but Stephen Perkins supporters who attended the hearing say what they heard was unacceptable.

Marquette is charged with the on-duty shooting of Stephen Perkins in his driveway on Sept. 29, 2023.

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Supporters say the hearing showed them that their police department has no respect for the case. Community members in Decatur like Tommy Cook feel law enforcement mishandled evidence, calling it both displeasing and disappointing.

“You can tell the inconsistencies of our police department and the neglect they did as officers of the law,” Cook told News 19. “If they mishandled this information, what other information have they mishandled?”

Following the hearing, a group of protestors on behalf of Perkins held a demonstration during the city’s 3rd Friday. No arrests were made during the demonstration which is in contrast to a similar protest in April.

Perkins supporters tell News 19 they were expecting to get answers on Friday as to who leaked that body cam footage but that didn’t happen.

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Every Decatur Police officer who testified denied leaking or giving access to the video. Two State Bureau Investigation (SBI) officers and Decatur City Councilman Hunter Pepper also took the stand denying any involvement in the footage being leaked.

According to testimony, the SBI shared that video with the district attorney’s office, Decatur Police, and eventually the FBI. During the hearing, Morgan County District Attorney Scott Anderson argued the leaking of the video could harm Marquette’s right to a fair trial.

In reference to the handling of the video, Terrance Adkins with Standing in Power, a community-led group that has supported the Perkins family, says the department needs to address changes to how evidence like the video is handled immediately.

“Decatur Police doesn’t have any type of training, any type of protocol established when it comes to anything,” Adkins said. “There was no formal way of keeping track of that and that’s disheartening from the department.”

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Perkins supporters said this case has never been about black and white but more so about right and wrong, and they feel many wrongs were exposed during the hearing.

The gag order remains temporary for now, but supporters are continuing to echo their calls to see justice for Perkins.

They’re calling on the FBI and the Department of Justice to investigate the Decatur Police Department for what they feel has been years of wrongdoing.

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