HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Former Huntsville Police officer William Darby, who was convicted of murder in the shooting death of Jeffrey Parker in 2018 but later had that conviction overturned, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and will avoid a new trial, according to the Madison County District Attorney's Office.
Madison County District Attorney Rob Broussard said that the plea agreement happened after defense attorneys reached out to discuss a potential settlement. Darby, who served 20 months before his conviction was overturned, will not return to prison unless he violates the terms of his probation under his new sentence.
Darby also gave up his right to appeal.
“What he did was clearly unlawful, but it was never lost on us that what he did was during the course of his job, which is not an easy job," Broussard said.
His initial conviction came after police responded to a call of a man with a gun threatening suicide. Darby arrived on the scene after other. more senior officers were in the room with the man, trying to calm him and de-escalate the situation, according to testimony given at trial. Darby entered the room and after a few seconds fired at Parker, killing him. He later claimed he was concerned for another officer's safety.
It would later be determined Parker was actually holding a flare gun that had been painted black, but there is no evidence indicating any of the officers were aware of that fact, according to an appellate court summary of the case.
A jury found Darby guilty of murder, but the conviction was later overturned by the Alabama Court of Appeals based on instructions given to the jury and a new trial was ordered. The guilty plea spares Darby a new trial.