Police say man’s gun ‘heightened’ mall threat
An Alabama city and its police department publicly expressed condolences Monday to the family of a black man fatally shot by an officer in the chaotic moments after a previous shooting at a crowded mall on Thanksgiving night.
But a statement issued by officials in Hoover, 10 miles south of Birmingham, placed some of the responsibility on Emantic “EJ” Bradford Jr., who was killed by an officer working private security at the sprawling, two-story Riverchase Galleria.
The statement said Bradford, 21, was shot during Hoover police’s efforts to secure the scene after the initial shooting, which wounded an 18-yearold man and a 12-year-old girl.
A manhunt for at least one shooter continued Monday.
“We can say with certainty Mr. Bradford brandished a gun during the seconds following the gunshots, which instantly heightened the sense of threat to approaching police officers responding to the chaotic scene,” the statement said.
“We are deeply and sincerely sympathetic to Mr. Bradford’s grieving family and all of those affected by this incident,” the statement said. “We all want answers, and we believe that with patience and focus the truth will be firmly established.”
In the hours after the shooting, Hoover police lauded the “heroic” officer for taking down a suspect. Several hours later, police walked the story back, saying Bradford was not the initial shooter.
Bradford’s father, Emantic Bradford Sr., said Monday that police had not reached out to the family to apologize or explain what happened.
Crump said Bradford tried to bring calm to the altercation and had a permit for his gun. Crump said the officer “saw a black man with a gun, and he made his determination that he (Bradford) must be a criminal.”
Crump and the family have called on police to release body camera footage and other video of the shooting, saying it would tell the “whole story.”
Hoover police said they turned over video and other evidence to the Jefferson County Sheriff ’s Department, which turned it over to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, which leads the investigation. The agency has not announced when or if the videos would be released.