Webb v. City of Homewood Alabama et al

On January 24, 2025, Charles Webb, an African American man, was subjected to a traffic stop by Homewood police officers in Alabama. According to the subsequent federal civil rights lawsuit filed the same day, officers without provocation slammed Webb to the ground, deployed a taser, and knelt on his neck, causing multiple rib fractures and a traumatic brain injury. Bystander video captured the incident, showing Webb offering no active resistance. The complaint alleged the excessive force was racially motivated and violated Webb’s Fourth Amendment rights. The City of Homewood and its police department denied wrongdoing, claiming Webb resisted arrest. The case, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, ignited local protests and national scrutiny over policing practices in Homewood. The litigation centered on the officers’ conduct and the city’s alleged custom of condoning brutality.

As of June 2026, the case settled prior to trial. The City of Homewood agreed to pay $3 million in damages to Charles Webb without admitting liability. The settlement also mandated the implementation of enhanced de-escalation training and the equipping of all patrol officers with body-worn cameras.

Whether the officers’ use of force was objectively unreasonable and excessive; whether the City of Homewood maintained a policy or custom of tolerating police violence, thereby incurring municipal liability; and the evidentiary weight of bystander video footage in establishing the sequence of events.

The settlement prompted significant police reform in Homewood, including a complete revision of the use-of-force policy and mandatory body-camera activation during all investigative stops. Community advocacy groups hailed the outcome as a milestone for accountability, while the case contributed to ongoing statewide debates in Alabama on qualified immunity and civilian oversight of law enforcement agencies.