James Terryl Daniels Obituary, Death – A man who died after being shot by police on a busy Homewood roadway Friday morning has been identified by the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office as James Terryl Daniels, 53, of Birmingham. The shooting occurred around 9:40 a.m. on Green Springs Highway near Valley Avenue, close to the Red Mountain Plaza shopping center. According to police, Daniels was riding a bicycle erratically, weaving through all four lanes of traffic and creating multiple hazards.
Officers attempted to stop him in the roadway and asked for identification. Daniels allegedly refused, saying he did not want to identify himself because of outstanding warrants and a past robbery conviction.
Eventually, he did give his name, and officers confirmed he had four active misdemeanor warrants. Records also revealed that Daniels had previously been convicted of first-degree robbery in 1996 in Shelby County, for which he was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
When officers tried to detain him, Daniels reportedly became uncooperative and moved into lanes of oncoming traffic. Police stated that, despite repeated commands, he continued resisting and began reaching under his shirt. Officers said they ordered him several times to stop, but he pulled out a semi-automatic pistol, chambered a round, and pointed it at them. At that point, both officers opened fire, striking Daniels.
Police immediately secured his weapon — a pistol with three loaded magazines — and began providing first aid. Homewood Fire Department medics then treated him before he was taken to UAB Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:25 a.m. No officers were injured.
The Alabama Attorney General’s Office responded to the scene and has taken over the investigation. Officials stated that the incident was fully captured on the officers’ body-worn cameras, which investigators now possess.
This shooting comes less than three months after another deadly police shooting in Homewood. On June 23, 18-year-old Jabari Peoples of Aliceville was shot and killed by Homewood officers at a city soccer park. Following a review, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency concluded that the shooting was justified, and Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr agreed with that ruling. However, Peoples’ family strongly disagreed, and their attorneys pledged to continue challenging the outcome. The incident led to multiple protests and arrests in the Birmingham area.
As for Daniels’ case, the investigation is still ongoing. While police emphasized that Daniels posed a direct threat when he pointed a loaded firearm at officers, critics of police use of force are likely to scrutinize this incident closely, especially in light of the earlier shooting involving Peoples.
For now, authorities are focusing on reviewing the body camera footage and gathering additional evidence to determine whether the officers’ actions were legally justified. Daniels’ death adds to ongoing community concerns about the use of deadly force and the broader debate over how law enforcement handles encounters with individuals who have criminal records or outstanding warrants.
