Phillip Reeder Obituary, Death – An Alabama family is demanding justice after the death of 52-year-old Phillip Reeder, which has been ruled a homicide by the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office. According to Reeder’s wife, Sandra Lee Reeder, her husband repeatedly cried out “I can’t breathe” while an Irondale police officer knelt on the back of his neck for roughly three minutes during a police encounter in August 2024.
The family and their attorneys are drawing parallels between Reeder’s death and that of George Floyd, a Black man who died in Minneapolis in 2020 after a police officer knelt on his neck. In contrast, Phillip Reeder was white. The coroner attributed Reeder’s death to hypertensive heart disease linked to cocaine use and physical restraint during the altercation. The autopsy also found other injuries on his body, though they were not listed as the cause of death.
The incident occurred on Highway 78, where officers were called due to reports of Reeder behaving erratically and running into traffic. Authorities stated they believed he posed a danger to himself and others. When Reeder reportedly refused to comply with officer commands, he was tased. According to the city of Irondale, even after the Taser was deployed, Reeder continued to struggle, prompting officers to hold him down using “only their arms.” Shortly afterward, Reeder stopped breathing.
Police claim officers performed first aid until medics arrived and transported Reeder to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Sandra Lee Reeder maintains her husband was going through a mental health crisis triggered by job stress and was not committing a crime. She said that last week, the family reviewed body camera footage from four officers involved. According to her, the video shows Reeder saying “I can’t breathe” three times while on the ground and an officer kneeling on his neck, despite another officer suggesting he be rolled over.
At a press conference outside Irondale City Hall, Sandra Lee Reeder disputed the police report, which claims her husband’s facial injuries occurred when he stumbled and hit the concrete after being tased. She said the bodycam footage does not support that narrative.
The family’s attorneys said they do not know whether the case has been presented to a grand jury or if the district attorney has made a formal decision.
Meanwhile, the city of Irondale pushed back against the family’s claims in a Monday evening statement. City attorneys asserted that no officer used a knee on Reeder’s neck and that no excessive force was applied during the arrest. They further stated that the district attorney reviewed the autopsy results and found no probable cause to file criminal charges against any of the officers involved in the incident.
The family continues to press for transparency and accountability in the case.
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.
