HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A Huntsville-based justice reform group is calling for action after the body of a 29-year-old woman was found in the back of an old Huntsville Police van.
At a press conference last week, the Huntsville Police Department showed surveillance footage revealing Christina Nance climbed into the unlocked van on her own late last month. Her body was found more than 10 days later.
At the press conference, HPD officials said the van being unlocked was outside of protocol; that piece of information, in part, prompted the Citizens Coalition for Justice Reform to release a statement. The statement said leaving the van unlocked in the first place was “negligent behavior.”
CCJR says they want more accountability on the part of HPD in her death.
Deputy Chief Dewayne McCarver did explain the van was formerly used for inmate transport and did not have handles to open it from the inside, so Nance locked herself in the vehicle when she climbed in.
Police said later footage shows Nance opened the windows but did not call for help. HPD officials said this is a tragedy and Nance is a victim.
CCJR requests press conferences like that one to set precedent when it comes to transparency in cases involving critical injury or death.
They’re also calling on the Huntsville Police Citizens Advisory Council to be more proactive in initiating reviews of controversial cases.
To read the statement in its entirety, click here.