Attorney for family of man killed in Muscle Shoals police shooting speaks out about incident

MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. (WHNT) — Authorities say Ronald Parrish was shot and killed by Muscle Shoals Police after an incident Sunday evening at Parrish’s home on Tuxedo Avenue.

Around 4:46 Sunday night, a family member of 68-year-old Ronald Parrish called the police, hoping to get him some medical attention.

Tyler Mann, the Parrish family’s attorney, spoke with News 19 on Thursday afternoon about the events that led up to his death.

“He was having an episode, he was not calm, his wife was having trouble communicating with him, his sons came over and have in the past been able to sorta calm him down, but that did not happen during this incident,” Mann said.

Mann says Parrish had been struggling with dementia. Sunday night, he was walking around his home carrying a steak knife.

“The family was just looking for help, whether that was to get him to a hospital, or to just calm him down, and in talking with them,” Mann said. “I do not get the feeling that the family felt they were in danger.”

Mann tells News 19 that when police got to the home, Parrish didn’t cooperate with them.

📲 Get breaking news, traffic and weather alerts directly to your smartphone. Download the News 19 App

“From witnesses, and these are coming from his sons who were in the house while this was happening, which is so tragic, apparently he was tased once or twice and then was shot and the gunshots are what ultimately ended his life,” Mann said.

Mann, a personal injury attorney, grew up in Muscle Shoals and has known the Parrish family for years. Mann said Ronald Parrish was well-known in the community and worked at the Tennessee Valley Authority for years.

His family is reeling from the shock of his death.

“They’re heartbroken, they’re devastated as you can imagine, they want answers, they want to understand fully why this happened,” Mann said.

Mann says he and the Parrish family believe Ronald Parrish didn’t have to die.

“Officers are not being trained in how to deal with mental illness, with things like dementia, and it’s leading to in some cases, and I don’t know all the details yet but it’s leading to excessive force because of a lack of understanding of these conditions,” Mann said.

Mann says he’s reached out to MSPD and ALEA requesting body cam footage but has been denied. He says both agencies have responded by saying this incident is still being investigated and that they have no comment.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.