Hoover police release Ross Bridge homicide suspect

Hoover police today said they are releasing the man accused of shooting his stepdaughter’s boyfriend at a Ross Bridge apartment complex Sunday morning until a grand jury can hear evidence in the case.

Police detectives said they have gathered evidence, interviewed witnesses, examined autopsy results and presented their findings to the Bessemer division of the Jefferson County district attorney’s office, and no arrest warrants are being issued at this time.

"The victim and suspect were physically fighting just prior to the shots being fired, so it was no surprise that self-defense entered the conversation," Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector said. "This was a difficult case, and we knew the decision on whether to bring criminal charges would not be easy. The bottom line is that we want to get this right. We have to get it right. We had lengthy discussions with the district attorney this afternoon, and we concur with and respect their decision. Letting a grand jury decide if criminal charges are appropriate is the right thing to do."

The shooting reportedly happened a little before 10:30 a.m. in the 2800 building of the Ashby Apartments in Ross Bridge, while 24-year-old Howard Marquise Anthony Hardy was visiting his girlfriend and he got into an altercation with her 45-year-old stepfather.

“During the fight, Hardy was shot and killed by the stepfather,” police said in a news release. “The shooter fled the scene but was captured a short time later by the Bessemer Police Department.”

Hoover Fire Department paramedics pronounced Hardy dead on the scene.

This article was updated at 6:26 p.m. with an additional comment from Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector.