Coke v. City of Birmingham, Alabama et al

On September 18, 2025, Jamal Coke, a 22-year-old Black man, was fatally shot by Birmingham police officers during a traffic stop in the Ensley neighborhood. Officers David Hargrove and Lisa Mendez alleged Coke reached for a weapon; however, bodycam footage later showed he was holding a cell phone. Coke's family filed a federal lawsuit against the officers and the City of Birmingham under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, asserting excessive force, unlawful seizure, and wrongful death. The complaint further alleged the City maintained a pattern of unconstitutional policing, inadequate training, and condoning excessive force, constituting a Monell claim. The incident sparked widespread protests over police accountability and racial bias in law enforcement.

As of mid-2026, the case is in the discovery phase in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. The City has denied liability, and the officers assert qualified immunity. No trial date has been set.

The central dispute is whether the officers' use of deadly force was objectively reasonable under the Fourth Amendment, and whether the City of Birmingham bears liability for systemic failures in training, supervision, and policies that allegedly caused the constitutional violation.

The case intensified national debate on qualified immunity and police reform. It prompted the Birmingham City Council to consider enhanced use-of-force policies and independent investigations of officer-involved shootings. Civil rights organizations cited Coke v. City of Birmingham as emblematic of endemic racial disparities in policing, and the incident was referenced in congressional hearings on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.