Chapman’s family says death was suicide
The family of Kindra Chapman, an 18-year-old who died while at Homewood City Jail, released a statement through their lawyers stating Chapman’s death was a suicide.
“We are so grateful for the outpouring of support for Kindra. We are devastated that she is gone, and we miss her terribly. We want the world to know what a wonderful soul she was. At the same time, we want the world to know that her death was a suicide.,” the statement said. “We have hired lawyers to investigate how this could have happened while she was in police custody.”
The statement was released through Birmingham-based law firm Marsh, Rickard and Bryan.
Homewood Police Chief Jim Roberson issued a video statement today detailing Chapman's arrest. He also thanked the family and their attorney for joining police in "setting the record straight."
Roberson said police received a call on July 14 at 5:19 p.m. reporting someone with a gun at the Abbey apartments off of Lakeshore Court. Additional information reported there was an attempted robbery, and a description was given of the suspect.
Officers later encountered Kindra Chapman at 5:41 p.m. at Hickory Knoll apartments, just up the road from the Abbey Apartments. The victim positively identified Chapman, and she was arrested.
At the Homewood City Jail, Chapman could not contact anyone to make her bond, and she was placed in her cell at 6:30 p.m.
Video recordings of Chapman’s time at the jail did not indicate she was injured when she entered the jail, according to a statement from Jefferson County District Attorney Brandon Falls. She “appeared to be able to move and function on her own” during the whole entry process, Falls said.
When Chapman was placed in a cell, officers were transporting other inmates from the jail to the Homewood Municipal Court, and Chapman was left alone in her cell.
“While in the cell, the video shows that she appeared to be agitated, and she attempted to damage the contents of the cell,” according to Falls’ statement.
Chapman then knocked over a water cooler and stood on it to tie a bed sheet to a wall support rail extending from the ceiling, using the sheet to commit suicide.
Chapman was found around 7:42 p.m. when officers returned. The officers tried to resuscitate her, and according to a statement from the inmate officers were returning to the cell, the officers did everything they could for Chapman. Chapman was then transported to Brookwood Medical Center and pronounced dead at 8:36 p.m.
“At this time, I have seen no evidence of any criminal wrongdoing in the arrest and detention of Kindra Chapman, and I believe that her death is the result of suicide,” Falls said.
The DA is awaiting a final autopsy and toxicology report and will issue further findings when it is received.
"From the moment that Kindra Chapman arrived at the Homewood City Jail until she was taken to the Brookwood ER by ambulance, she was video recorded," Roberson said. "We have shared that video with the attorney for the Chapman family."
Chapman’s death brought scrutiny from the community, including a petition on change.org as well as a Black Lives Matter protest outside of Homewood City Jail that led to six arrests.
Avee-Ashanti Shabazz, one of the local Black Lives Matter organizers, said a group of protestors gathered at the jail on July 21 because police were going to issue a statement. When their questions, such as “Is it standard operating procedure to give sheets to people who have been detained?” and the location of cameras in the jail were not answered, Shabazz said they began to protest.
“It was at that point that we started our protest. We take the position that we have the right to protest, and we have the right to protest anywhere on public property,” Shabazz said. “We do not yield that right to any rule, law or policy that would circumvent it.”
Falls said he does not plan to release video but would consider releasing the video of her entering the jail and the booking process if her family request its release.
"As a parent, I can't imagine the grief and the heartache the Chapman family must be going through," Roberson said. "Parents should never have to bury their children. My thought and prayers are with the Chapman family during this time of great loss."