Immunity Hearing Set For Suspect In 2019 Killing Of Tuscaloosa Police Officer

TUSCALOOSA, AL — A pre-trial hearing has been set for later this month that will see a judge determine if a man charged with capital murder in the 2019 killing a Tuscaloosa Police Department investigator acted in self-defense.

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As Patch previously reported, Luther Bernard Watkins, Jr. is accused of shooting TPD Investigator Dornell Cousette on the night on Sept. 16, 2019 — just before 6:30 p.m.

Watkins, who was 20 years old at the time, has yet to go to trial on the capital murder charge and first made the argument in 2023 that he acted in self-defense. The case has moved slowly and Watkins has been represented by several different attorneys who have left the case for various unrelated reasons.

Watkins will be represented by Tuscaloosa attorney Gary Blume when he has his first pre-trial immunity hearing on Feb. 24, with Circuit Court Judge Brad Almond presiding over the case.

Blume told Patch that he plans to call several expert witnesses to underscore holes in the narrative that his client killed Cousette in cold blood.

According to the initial deposition and charge sheet, Cousette went to a residence at 1709 33rd Avenue to serve an arrest warrant on Watkins for an outstanding robbery charge.

Blume claims Cousette, while off duty, received information from a bail bondsman about where Watkins might be, which prompted Cousette to attempt to apprehend Watkins on the outstanding failure-to-appear writ.

Blume also said Cousette called TPD dispatch seeking backup to approach and apprehend Watkins, but was told there were no units available at that time.

Cousette then allegedly contacted his shift supervisor at 6:10 p.m. seeking backup and was again informed that no units were available.

Blume says Cousette and his supervisor talked for 3 minutes and 41 seconds. The conversation allegedly concluded with Cousette saying he would wait until other law enforcement officers were available to assist.

Blume went on to claim that Cousette met up with the bail bondsman near the eventual scene of the shooting, where he "quickly decided to proceed without law enforcement backup."

"Officer Cousette traveled southbound on 33rd Avenue, bringing his unmarked TPD vehicle to a stop in front of the house," Blume said. "He immediately exited his vehicle with his gun drawn. [Watkins] rose and quickly retreated into the house and away from Officer Cousette. As [Watkins] did so, Officer Cousette instructed him to stop. Officer Cousette followed close behind."

Watkins claims he was sitting with his back to traffic traveling south on 33rd Avenue as he several associates were playing cards in the front yard of the residence.

Jim Standridge, who is no longer the defense attorney for Watkins, said at the time that Cousette pulled up in an unmarked TPD patrol vehicle, followed by a bail bondsman in his private vehicle.

Standridge alleged that as Cousette drove up to the residence, Watkins took several steps toward the front door of the home and was quickly followed by Cousette.

"As Officer Cousette left his vehicle according to witnesses, he made the statement 'run and I’ll shoot,'" Standridge said in 2023. "As both [Watkins] and Officer Cousette entered the residence, Officer Cousette shot [Watkins] in the back, then in the chest with his duty weapon, knocking [Watkins] to the floor."

The deposition says Watkins ran into the house, followed by Cousette, who Blume said was not wearing a body camera. Investigators then claim that Cousette was able to return fire at Watkins before being shot just inside the door of the residence.

The 911 call by the bail bondsman was made at 6:22 p.m. and Cousette died from his injuries.

Watkins claims he was unarmed when Cousette fired first as he was entering the house, reportedly striking Watkins in the back and knocking him to the floor. In the motion for his pre-trial immunity hearing, Blume writes that Watkins believed Cousette was going to kill him and returned fire in self-defense.

Blume surmised that Cousette and Watkins then fired shots "virtually simultaneously."

Cousette’s second shot struck Watkins in the chest, while the shot fired by Watkins hit Cousette in the upper left jaw.

"The only shot that [Watkins] fired was done so with the reasonable expectation that Officer Cousette was about to end his life," Blume said in his most recent filing.

Watkins reportedly fled the scene after being shot twice and was later located at DCH's hospital in Northport, where he was being treated for his injuries.

Blume says he aims to show that Cousette violated TPD policy regarding the use of deadly force and that Watkins acted in self-defense when he fired the fatal shot that killed Cousette.

He also plans to cite Tennessee v. Garner to show that Cousette used deadly force against Watkins despite there being no threat of death or serious injury to Cousette or others.

The 1985 Supreme Court ruling states that law enforcement officers can't use deadly force to stop a fleeing suspect unless the suspect poses a serious threat to the officer or others.

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