Malachi Compton #

Introduction #

Malachi Compton is a former officer with the Decatur Police Department in Decatur, Alabama, whose employment ended in June 2026 following an internal investigation into excessive use of force. Decatur police confirmed that Compton is no longer employed by the department and that his last day was June 7, 2026, but it is unclear whether he resigned or was let go. The investigation followed an April 2026 federal civil-rights lawsuit filed against Compton by a Decatur woman alleging he used excessive force and violated her constitutional rights during a traffic stop outside her home, in an arrest she says left her with a skull fracture and a brain bleed.

Background Information #

Public reporting identifies Compton as an officer with the Decatur Police Department in Morgan County, Alabama. In April 2026, plaintiff Heather Mauffray filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama naming Compton as the sole defendant and seeking compensatory and punitive damages under a federal law that allows individuals to sue government officials for civil-rights violations. Compton is sued in his individual capacity only; the City of Decatur is not named as a defendant. The complaint alleges Compton had a “prior history of controversial and aggressive arrests” — a claim made in the litigation, not an established finding. WAFF reported that the lawsuit alleged Compton used excessive force and violated the woman’s constitutional rights during the stop outside her home.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #

Allegations vs. record. The account of the March 25, 2026 traffic stop below comes primarily from Heather Mauffray’s civil complaint and her public statements; the injuries she describes are as alleged in the lawsuit. No criminal charge against Compton is reported, the city is not a defendant, and the civil claims were unresolved in available reporting. The dropped charges and his administrative leave are per prosecutors, court records, and the police department as reported by news outlets.

According to the complaint, Mauffray returned to her Morgan County home on March 25, 2026, after helping care for her mother, and as she pulled into her driveway she noticed a patrol vehicle behind her with its emergency lights activated. When she stepped out of her car and saw Compton, the suit says, she became frightened — in part because she was aware of his alleged history of controversial and aggressive arrests — and, alone at her residence and fearing for her safety, she began walking toward her front door. The complaint alleges that Compton chased after her without giving any commands, explanation, or attempt to de-escalate, and that she began screaming; the suit says he then “ran Plaintiff down, forcefully seized her, and violently slammed her onto the ground,” even though it alleges she posed no threat and made no attempt to flee or resist. Only after inflicting those injuries, per the complaint, did Compton place her under arrest, citing minor traffic infractions: failure to signal and illegal window tint.

The lawsuit alleges the encounter left Mauffray with a fractured skull, two brain bleeds, a fractured ear, hearing loss in her left ear, blood behind her eardrum, and bruising. According to the complaint, emergency personnel took her first to Decatur Morgan Hospital and then, given the severity of her injuries, by ambulance to the UAB Trauma Center in Birmingham.

Court records show that all ten charges originally filed against Mauffray were dismissed after the Morgan County District Attorney’s Office dropped the case, with the closure recorded on April 21, 2026, after she had already turned herself in on the charges before obtaining legal representation. The charges were dropped one week before she filed the lawsuit. The Decatur Police Department announced that Compton was placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation, saying a preliminary assessment “identified potential policy violations” and that a full internal investigation was underway.

Public Reaction and Consequences #

After the charges against her were dropped, Mauffray told FOX54, “He assaulted me,” and questioned the city’s transparency: “If they know that this was wrong and they are not willing to go public, then how can we trust the city of Decatur?” She has said she believes video evidence of the encounter exists and has called on the department to release it. The department said it owes residents “the high standards expected of an ethical and professional law enforcement agency” and that corrective action would be taken if those standards were not met; it has not responded to subsequent requests for comment. The most concrete consequence arrived in June, when Decatur police confirmed Compton was no longer employed following the internal investigation.

Current Status #

Compton is no longer employed by the Decatur Police Department; his last day was June 7, 2026, and the department has not said whether he resigned or was let go. The lawsuit’s single count alleges Compton violated Mauffray’s Fourth Amendment rights by using objectively unreasonable force — slamming her to the ground when she posed no threat — and contends he acted with malice and reckless indifference to her constitutional rights. The suit, which was pending in available reporting, seeks general damages, special damages for past and future medical bills, punitive damages, and attorney’s fees. Mauffray, meanwhile, has not been cleared to return to work because of her brain injuries.

Impact on Their Career/Life #

Compton’s career with the Decatur Police Department is over: within roughly three months of the March 2026 traffic stop, he went from serving officer to former employee, though the department’s silence on whether he resigned or was fired leaves the manner of his exit officially unstated. Because he is sued in his individual capacity, he faces potential personal liability for compensatory and punitive damages and attorney’s fees if the allegations are proven. The department has pledged corrective action if its standards were not met, but it has declined further comment. For Mauffray, the alleged injuries — a fractured skull, two brain bleeds, and hearing loss among them — have kept her out of work, and her case has become a public test of how the city accounts for force used by its officers.