Jarmon-Goodman v. City of Muscle Shoals et al

On October 9, 2018, Jarmon D. Goodman, a 26-year-old Black man, was fatally shot by Muscle Shoals Police Lieutenant Jeremy Robinson during a traffic stop confrontation. After Goodman fled his vehicle, officers pursued him, alleging he brandished a firearm. His estate, administered by Shatara Jarmon-Goodman, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama against the City of Muscle Shoals and Lieutenant Robinson. The complaint alleged excessive force, wrongful death, and failure to properly train and supervise. After years of litigation, including rulings on qualified immunity, the case was resolved in 2022 when the City of Muscle Shoals agreed to a $1.5 million settlement without admitting liability, closing one of the region's most closely watched police violence cases.

The case was settled in 2022. The City of Muscle Shoals agreed to pay $1.5 million to the estate of Jarmon D. Goodman without admitting liability. The settlement effectively ended the federal litigation.

Whether Officer Jeremy Robinson used excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment when he shot Jarmon D. Goodman, and whether the City of Muscle Shoals maintained unconstitutional customs, policies, or failures in training that led to the fatal shooting.

The shooting and subsequent lawsuit intensified local and national scrutiny over police use of deadly force, especially against Black individuals during traffic stops. The substantial settlement and court filings prompted protests and renewed calls for police accountability and training reforms in Muscle Shoals and broader Alabama, reinforcing the ongoing public debate over qualified immunity and municipal liability in officer-involved shootings.