Brian Lyman

Montgomery Advertiser

The Montgomery County House delegation Tuesday approved a bill that would require the Montgomery City Council to adopt procedures to investigate police misconduct and provide compensation for the victims.

The legislation, sponsored by Rep. John Knight, D-Montgomery, comes more than a year after the officer-involved shooting of Greg Gunn, and amid some debate about the adequacy of the city’s existing investigative procedures.

Officer Aaron Smith stopped Gunn, 58, on Feb. 25, 2016 for a stop-and-frisk while Gunn walked home at about 3 a.m. from a neighborhood card game. Gunn, who was unarmed, attempted to flee. After a chase, Smith tased Gunn, beat him with a baton and shot him multiple times, killing him.

A grand jury indicted Smith last November for murder. The officer, whose attorneys say he acted in self-defense, awaits trial.

Kim Fehl, Montgomery’s city attorney, raised objections to the bill, saying the city already had investigative procedures in place. Fehl also said the language in the bill was broad and might open the city to lawsuits other municipalities might not experience.

“The City of Montgomery may have to defend more cases than other cities,” she said. “It may be more costly for taxpayers in that realm.”

Knight said having clearly established procedures would alleviate public concerns about processes.

“What’s wrong with adopting procedures so everyone knows what the procedures are?” he asked. “I would want to know if I was a police officer, what are the procedures by which that shooting was investigated.”

The bill, which passed on a voice vote, moves to the Alabama House of Representatives. Knight introduced a similar bill last year, but it did not become law.