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Matthew Sean Massey

Age : 38

Gender : Male

Race : White

Date : 08/13/2026

Location : North parking deck, UAB St. Vincent’s Birmingham, near 2700 block of University Boulevard

City : Birmingham

County : Jefferson

State : Alabama

Agency : Birmingham Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police during attempted detention

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/13/2026, 38-year-old Matthew Sean Massey of Birmingham was shot and killed by a Birmingham Police Department officer inside the north parking deck at UAB St. Vincent’s Birmingham. The encounter began after a McDonald’s security guard flagged down a patrol officer and reported that Massey had assaulted an employee at the restaurant.
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At approximately 12:35 p.m., the officer was patrolling near University Boulevard and 28th Street South when the security guard approached him. Police said the security guard identified Massey, who had crossed University Boulevard. The officer drove down University Boulevard, stopped his patrol vehicle and attempted to contact Massey to investigate the reported assault.
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Police alleged that when the officer attempted to detain Massey, he ran. The officer pursued him on foot into the north parking deck at UAB St. Vincent’s Birmingham.
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Birmingham Police Chief Michael Pickett said the officer encountered Massey inside the parking deck and issued verbal commands. Police alleged that Massey did not comply, and the officer deployed a Taser. According to police, Massey then attempted to take control of the officer’s Taser.
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Police said the officer then drew his firearm and shot Massey. Emergency medical personnel responded, but Massey died at the scene. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office subsequently identified him.
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Police had not claimed that Massey possessed a weapon. At an evening news conference on the day of the shooting, Chief Pickett said investigators had not established that Massey was armed. The police justification for the shooting instead centered on the allegation that Massey attempted to gain control of the officer’s Taser.
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The Birmingham Police Department Homicide Division is investigating the shooting. Police said the completed investigation will be submitted to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office for independent review.
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Police said body-worn camera footage exists and indicated that it intends to release footage from the encounter when investigators determine that doing so will not compromise the investigation. UAB also issued an emergency alert after the shooting directing people to avoid the North Tower and Level A of the parking deck. Massey was reportedly unhoused and originally from the Pensacola area.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Birmingham Police Department has not publicly identified the officer who killed Massey. Chief Michael Pickett described him as a seven-year veteran of the department.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://abc3340.com/news/local/large-police-and-rescue-presence-at-uab-st-vincents-parking-deck
https://1819news.com/news/item/birmingham-pd-to-release-body-worn-footage-of-fatal-officer-involved-shooting
https://abc3340.com/news/local/mcdonalds-security-guard-shares-new-details-preceding-birmingham-police-shooting
https://www.wbrc.com/2026/08/14/police-suspect-tried-take-officers-taser-before-fatal-shooting-uab-st-vincents/
https://www.wbrc.com/2026/08/15/new-video-witness-account-sheds-light-events-leading-deadly-shooting-involving-birmingham-police-officer/