Search fatalities

Phillip Reeder

Age : 52

Gender : Male

Race : White

Date : 08/04/2024

Location : Highway 78 near Old Leeds Road

City : Irondale

County : Jefferson

State : Alabama

Agency : Irondale Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Asphyxiation

Event : Killed by police during arrest

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/06/2024, Irondale Police responded to reports of a man running into traffic along the 7400 block of Gadsden Highway. Officers encountered 52-year-old Phillip Reeder and attempted to detain him. Police stated Reeder resisted their efforts to take him into custody. During the encounter, officers deployed a Taser and physically restrained Reeder on the ground. After he was handcuffed, Reeder became unresponsive. Officers and Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel provided medical treatment before transporting him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigated the death. In July 2025, the Jefferson County Medical Examiner ruled Reeder's death a homicide. The autopsy determined the cause of death was hypertensive heart disease associated with cocaine use and restraint during the altercation, identifying the restraint as a contributing factor. After reviewing body-camera footage, Reeder's family alleged an officer knelt on his neck for approximately three minutes while Reeder repeatedly said, "I can't breathe," and announced plans to pursue civil litigation. The City of Irondale disputed those allegations, stating officers restrained Reeder using only their arms, denied that any officer placed a knee on his neck, and stated the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigation found no wrongdoing and prosecutors determined there was no probable cause for criminal charges. Publicly available records have not identified the officers involved.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://apnews.com/article/ef4aabd9a7117075c74c7d25226429ec
https://apnews.com/article/44b0c42f2e7a898f534c1ac628a2bb79
https://www.wwnytv.com/2025/07/22/family-claims-man-died-after-officer-kneeled-his-neck-compares-incident-george-floyds-death
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/07/23/alabama-police-death-phillip-reeder