Family claims man died after officer kneeled on his neck, compares death to George Floyd

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC/Gray News) - An Alabama family is calling for accountability after a 52-year-old man died while being detained by police. This comes after the coroner ruled the man’s death a homicide.

“I can’t breathe” may have been the final words spoken by 52-year-old Phillip Reeder. That’s what his wife, Sandra Lee Reeder, claims he called out at least three times as an Irondale police officer kneeled on the back of his neck for three minutes.

Phillip Reeder’s family members and attorneys are comparing his death to that of 46-year-old George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020 and are calling for the arrests of the officers involved. Phillip Reeder was a white man, while Floyd was a Black man.

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office ruled Phillip Reeder’s death as a homicide caused by hypertensive heart disease associated with cocaine and restraint during altercation. The coroner’s report says an autopsy revealed other injuries on the 52-year-old’s body, too, but said they were not the cause of his death.

In August 2024, Irondale Police responded to Highway 78, where police said in reports Phillip Reeder was running in and out of traffic and behaving erratically. The city of Irondale said a Taser was used on the 52-year-old after he refused to comply with officers’ commands. He was believed to be a danger to himself and others.

The city says even after the Taser was used, Phillip Reeder continued to struggle, and officers held him to the ground “using their arms only.” Shortly after that, the 52-year-old stopped breathing.

Police say Phillip Reeder was given first aid by officers until medics took him to a hospital, where he died.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigated the incident.

Sandra Lee Reeder says at the time of the incident, her husband was suffering from a mental health crisis due to work-related stress, and he wasn’t committing a crime before his death. Last Friday, she and other family members were able to see full body camera footage from the scene.

She says that video shows Phillip Reeder calling out, “I can’t breathe” three times as an officer kneeled on his neck while he was on the ground and as another officer suggested rolling him over.

“In another statement in the Irondale Police Department police report... it states that when Phillip was tased that Phillip suffered his bloody face and abrasions on his face from stumbling, hitting his head and face on concrete,” said Sandra Lee Reeder during a Monday press conference outside of Irondale City Hall. “Upon my review of all four body cams, this is not the truth.”

When asked whether this has been presented to a grand jury or whether the district attorney has made a ruling, attorneys representing Phillip Reeder’s family said they did not know.

Attorneys representing the city of Irondale issued a statement Monday evening disagreeing with what Phillip Reeder’s family and their attorneys shared at the press conference.

Irondale’s attorneys in a statement claim that none of its police officers put their knee on the back of Phillip Reeder’s neck and that no excessive force was used. They also said the district attorney’s office had already reviewed the findings of the autopsy.

“The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office did not see any probable cause sufficient for criminal charges in regard to the officers and their actions during the arrest/use of force incident,” said the city of Irondale in its statement.

You can read the full statement from the city below:

You can read the full response from the Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office regarding the autopsy of Phillip Reeder below:

Autopsy Case Summary:

Mr. Phillip David Reeder was a 52-year-old white male who was detained by officers with the Irondale Police Department on Highway 78 at Old Leeds Road. To control Mr. Reeder, police officers utilized a controlled electrical weapon and restrained him. While restrained by police Mr. Reeder became unresponsive and Irondale Fire and Rescue responded to the scene. Mr. Reeder was taken to St. Vincent’s East Emergency Department; however, despite resuscitative efforts, he was pronounced dead. Autopsy revealed injuries on the body from the struggle with first responders and the subsequent resuscitative efforts. Abrasions and contusions were identified. No fatal anatomic injury was identified. The heart was enlarged in a manner most likely caused by uncontrolled hypertension. Toxicological analysis detected cocaine in blood collected from the iliac veins (see separate Toxicology Report). Although likely painful, the blunt force injuries alone would not account for Mr. Reeder’s death. The injuries would have caused catecholamine release which would have been further exacerbated by the exertion from restraint. Given his heart disease, he would be more at risk for developing a dysrhythmia (a kind of heart attack) and the likelihood of a dysrhythmia is increased when a stimulant drug, such as cocaine, is in the blood. The combination of his heart disease, cocaine, injuries, and exertion from the altercation are the best explanation for Mr. Reeder’s death. It is our opinion, based on the circumstances surrounding death and the findings at autopsy, that Mr. Phillip David Reeder died of hypertensive heart disease associated with cocaine use and restraint during altercation. The manner of death is best classified as “homicide” for vital statistical purposes.