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It’s been 16 months, and we still don’t know what happened in his final moments. From day one, we’ve been denied the police reports, the official autopsy records with photos, body cam, and dash cam footage. If this was a simple drowning, why hide the evidence? Two days after his death, the Centreville Chief of Police held a press conference and claimed there was no physical contact before Tristan entered the Cahaba River. But Tristan’s body told a very different story.

They were told they could not see Tristan’s body. That his body had already been sent to Rockco Funeral Home and that they would need to wait 3–5 days until AFTER an autopsy was performed by the State Department of Forensics, BEFORE they could see Tristan. However, when Tristan’s father arrived at Rockco, staff told him Tristan was not there and he had actually been sent to the hospital morgue. (Imagine this game of lies, deceit, and trauma inflicted on the parents on the ver

Call to Action for Justice in Tristan Sheppard's death: sign the petition, send letters by October 31st, 2025, and demand evidence release, transparency, and a timeline regarding Grand Jury

...the family has not been provided any explanation for what shows as clear physical trauma Tristan suffered: bruises, lacerations, and other injuries that were plainly evident on his face, arms, back, and leg.

Please know this is not just about our family’s loss—it’s about the ongoing abuse of power and excessive force that many in our community have experienced at the hands of certain officers.

Some alleged Tristan was beaten, handcuffed, and shots were heard fired at the scene —contradicting statements by Centreville Police Chief Rodney Smith, who claimed there was no physical contact before he entered into the Cahaba River.