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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Members of Allan F. Tucker II's family addressed Alexandria's civilian police review board directly Monday night, naming officers during public comment and calling for criminal charges, during a three-hour hearing that ended with the Independent Community Policing Review Board recessing without reaching a decision on the auditor's findings.
The board voted to continue the meeting to Wednesday, July 1, rather than adjourn — meaning the same meeting remains technically open and discussion will resume virtually at 6 p.m. "This meeting would go in recess, it would not adjourn," board Chair Deborah Porter said near the close of Monday's session. "The rest of the discussion would happen" Wednesday.
A board confronting its first case
Monday's hearing was the first public test of Alexandria's four-year-old civilian police oversight system. Independent Policing Auditor Ameratu Kamara walked the board through a 10-month investigation spanning three separate inquiries: a criminal investigation by the multi-jurisdictional Critical Incident Response Team, an internal investigation by APD's Office of Professional Responsibility completed April 3, and her own administrative review, completed May 13.
Kamara reiterated the central finding from her June 22 report: the arresting officer, identified only as Officer 1, continued transporting Tucker to the Adult Detention Center after Tucker repeatedly asked to be taken to a hospital as the patrol vehicle passed Inova Alexandria Hospital. "The officer acknowledged those requests," Kamara told the board. "However, the officer continued to transport Mr. Tucker to the adult detention center."
She also detailed a finding that drew particular attention from board members: body-worn camera footage showing multiple officers muting their devices in what she described as unison while Tucker remained in custody. Asked whether the muting represented a broader pattern at APD, Kamara said she could not discuss active investigations but called it "a trend that I identified" and noted she sustained violations against all officers involved for it. "Instead of sort of waiting for the next complaint or waiting for the next critical incident, it's important to address that issue now," she said.
Ryan Belmore
Family members speak during public comment
Nine community members and family members addressed the board during the public comment period. Tucker's mother spoke first, asking the board to remember her son for who he was rather than the circumstances of his death. "I cannot bring my son home, but I will continue to carry his memory, his voice, and a mother's love forward until his life is honored," she said.
Several speakers raised concerns beyond the family. David Parker, identifying himself as a member of the city's Human Rights Commission and Economic Opportunities Commission, called for the officers' termination and asked the Commonwealth's Attorney to consider filing charges. Alys Pope urged the city to formalize a memorandum of understanding between APD and the Sheriff's Office governing intake procedures and communication with grieving families. A retired Alexandria police officer who said he served 27 years with the department, including 16 as union chair, argued the auditor's findings regarding the Sheriff's Office exceeded her jurisdiction under the city's oversight ordinance, and that footage he reviewed showed sheriff's deputies and jail medical staff assisting in efforts to revive Tucker.
Tucker's brother, Mack White — who described himself as Tucker's "bonus dad" — said Tucker "had one of the biggest hearts anyone I have ever known" and was met with indifference in his final hours. Tucker's oldest brother, Dante Jones, and another family member named officers directly during their remarks and called for criminal charges. The Alexandria Brief is not naming the individuals identified from the podium, as the auditor's report does not publicly name the officers involved and the allegations have not been independently verified.
Tucker's sister, Brittany Tucker, delivered some of the evening's most detailed remarks, alleging that one of the officers involved had three prior instances of insubordination or improper body-camera use, and describing injuries she said she observed on her brother's body when it was released to the family. She also read a passage she said came from Chief Tarrick McGuire's 2021 doctoral dissertation about humanity and dignity in policing, and asked how those values applied to her brother's case. The Alexandria Brief has not independently verified the disciplinary history or injury claims.
Tucker's cousin, Danielle Tucker, and another relative, Felicia Tucker, also addressed the board, both calling for accountability while thanking the auditor for her work. Felicia Tucker said she had encountered McGuire in person in the days after Tucker's death and described their exchange as significant to her family's grieving process.
Fatima Alexander, who said she has represented the family throughout the process, criticized what she described as a lack of communication and transparency from APD leadership since Tucker's death, and said the family felt the chief had not made efforts to attend meetings with them.
The Alexandria Police Department has not issued a statement specific to Monday's hearing. APD's prior statement, issued June 23 in response to the auditor's report, said the department "values the Independent Policing Auditor's review and will carefully consider the report's recommendations."
Board raises questions about its own authority
Much of the board's later questioning focused not on the facts of Tucker's death but on the limits of its own power. Vice Chair Alexis Stackhouse pressed Kamara on whether the auditor's disciplinary recommendations had been implemented, prompting board counsel to note the board has no role in personnel matters. Stackhouse said the board was not asking to intervene in personnel decisions — only to learn, in public, what had been recommended. "It seems like it's not your fault, but there may be... some seams and gaps and some shortcomings either in our ordinance... that needs to be cleaned up," she said.
Kamara agreed, telling the board that state confidentiality law — not her office's discretion — prevents disciplinary recommendations from being made public, and that the issue is one of several reasons she recommended a full review of the memorandum of understanding governing the oversight system.
Stackhouse also asked Kamara about the Sheriff's Office statement issued earlier Monday, in which the office said an internal review found no policy violations among its staff and that the review would not be released publicly. Kamara said she had no visibility into that internal review and could not confirm whether the Critical Incident Response Team's finding of no criminal wrongdoing, cited in the Sheriff's Office statement, extended to Sheriff's Office personnel. "That is something that I did not see in the CERT report," she said.
Board member Jules Tamegue asked what data the city should track going forward to measure whether policy changes are improving outcomes — for instance, how often arrestees who request medical care are taken to a hospital rather than a detention center. Kamara confirmed that data does not currently exist. "The APD does not currently collect that data, and that data is not currently available for publication," she said.
No decision reached
With the meeting nearing its scheduled 9 p.m. end time, board members indicated they remained divided on how to proceed. Under the city's oversight ordinance, the board has four options: concur with all or some of the auditor's findings; advise that the findings are not supported by the available information and recommend further review; advise that the investigation is incomplete and recommend additional investigation; or recommend referring the matter to the Commonwealth's Attorney. Vice Chair Stackhouse said she was inclined to vote against proceeding immediately, citing what she described as unanswered questions for both the board and the family.
Rather than vote without completing discussion, the board voted to recess the meeting and reconvene virtually Wednesday at 6 p.m., when it is expected to complete deliberations and reach a decision.
The Alexandria Brief will provide updates following Wednesday's meeting.
