DECATUR, Ala (WHNT) — The family of a man killed in an officer-involved shooting in Decatur Friday morning has issued a statement asking for transparency in the investigation.

The statement, released by a representative of the family of Stephen Clay Perkins, called the loss “traumatizing” and encouraged the city of Decatur to be transparent when communicating with the family on the incident.

“The most respectful way for the City of Decatur, Alabama and Decatur Alabama Police Department to respond to this tragedy is with proactivity, and ultimately, transparency when communicating with the family and the Decatur City Community,” the release says.

The statement also said the family has not received any footage of the incident and asked for body camera footage to be released.

“The city retains body cameras which should have been in use during the incident,” the statement said. “The family is calling for the city to deliver the footage to the family. In the meantime, surveillance exists of the incident through home security cameras. The unjust excessive amount of force can be seen in the home surveillance footage.”

The family said Perkins was not known for aggressive behavior and described him as a “family-oriented young black man thriving for excellence.” The statement also says that the family had found no evidence that Perkin’s car was being repossessed at the time of the incident.

“While there are a lot of rumors circulating, the family has found financial receipts proving Clay’s monthly payments were processed through his financing company and no evidence of Clay’s vehicle being in an active status of repossession, therefore indicating, the Towing Company and City of Decatur Police Department wrongfully appeared at Clay’s home,” the statement said.

The family ended their statement by demanding a thorough investigation of the encounter.

“In this memorandum, the family is demanding a thorough investigation of the encounter held at Clay’s home on the morning of 29 September 2023,” the statement said. “We are calling actions of justice to be served. We are calling for the removal of officers who entered Clay’s home the morning of the event, removal of officers using excessive force, and answers of justice from the city. We do not call for administrative leave of officers involved also known as a ‘free vacation.'”

You can read the full statement here.