Alabama Officer Under Investigation for Fatal Shooting of 68-Year-Old Man

An Alabama police officer is under investigation for allegedly shooting and killing a 68-year-old man, according to authorities.
The incident occurred around 5 p.m. on Sunday in Muscle Shoals when officers responded to a call in a residential neighborhood, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
The victim, Ronald Parrish, was allegedly armed with a knife and refused to comply with officers’ demands to drop the weapon. This led to one officer opening fire, fatally wounding Parrish.
Colbert County Coroner Justin Gasque confirmed that Parrish was transported to Helen Keller Hospital and was pronounced dead shortly after.
In response to the shooting, the Muscle Shoals Police Department has placed the involved officers on administrative leave. The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation will conduct an investigation, but details regarding the number of officers involved and the races of those involved have not been released.
In addition, further details about the shooting remain unclear.
Newsweek reached out to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency via email for comment.
The incident comes as a group of law enforcement leaders have recently called on police departments nationwide to reform their approaches in light of escalating fatalities during civilian encounters.
The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), a Washington, D.C.-based organization led by law enforcement chiefs and administrators, issued an extensive report on Tuesday, advocating immediate changes in training, procedures and the treatment of individuals in crisis.
The initiative follows an investigation spearheaded by the Associated Press, revealing over 1,000 deaths over a decade tied to restraint methods meant to subdue individuals without fatal intent.
In the wake of these findings, the PERF has introduced new guidelines aimed at curtailing preventable deaths and injuries by refining how and when officers use force. The research forum’s recommendations, which will be applied to all incidents officers handle, include better coordination with medical responders, de-escalation tactics and adherence to long-standing safety warnings.
“Every police chief, sheriff, trainer, officer, and any other person involved in these incidents should take the time to read these principles and put them to use,” the recommendations said. “They can save lives.”
The PERF report also shifts attention to those in medical, mental health, or drug-related crises—cases that have often led to fatal outcomes. It urges officers to view such individuals as patients rather than suspects and emphasizes the critical need to adjust tactics accordingly.
“These people are not suspects. They are patients,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, whose department has been at the forefront of calls for reform following Floyd’s 2020 death. “This is not just about making it safer for a patient. It’s about increasing safety for everyone.”