Photo by Jon Anderson.
Riverchase Galleria in Hoover, Alabama
Hoover police tonight said the 21-year-old Hueytown man shot and killed by a Hoover police officer Thanksgiving night inside the Riverchase Galleria likely did not fire the rounds that injured an 18-year-old Birmingham man in the mall seconds before.
That contradicts statements made by police just a couple of hours after the shooting occurred Thursday night and indicates that at least one gunman is still at large who could be responsible for shooting the 18-year-old Birmingham man and a 12-year-old girl in the mall, police Capt. Gregg Rector said.
Police said Thursday night that the man shot by police, today identified as 21-year-old Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford Jr., fired the earlier shots inside the mall after a fight broke out.
Rector tonight issued a clarification.
“Over the past 20 hours, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigators and crime scene technicians have interviewed numerous individuals and examined several critical evidentiary items,” Rector said in a news release. “New evidence now suggests that while Mr. Bradford may have been involved in some aspect of the altercation, he likely did not fire the rounds that injured the 18-year-old victim.
“We regret that our initial media release was not totally accurate, but new evidence indicates that it was not,” Rector said.
Bradford did, however, flee the shooting scene while brandishing a handgun and was “engaged, shot and killed by a uniformed Hoover police officer,” Rector said.
The Hoover Police Department initially turned the investigation over to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, but during the course of the investigation, it was discovered that a witness to the incident at the mall is the cousin of Jefferson County Sheriff-Elect Mark Pettway’s wife, Jefferson County District Attorney Mike Anderton said in a news release also issued tonight.
Due to the potential for the appearance of impropriety or a conflict of interest, Anderton requested the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to take over the entire investigation, including the shooting by the police officer and the earlier shooting.
“Please note that my request should not be interpreted that the members of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department are incapable or untrustworthy in the handling of this matter,” Anderton said. “I have worked the last 34 years with the JCSO investigators, and I personally have absolute confidence in their ability and desire to conduct a fair investigation. But an investigation of this sort takes time. The potential for the conclusion of this investigation coming during the term of the sheriff-elect, a cousin of a potential major witness in the investigation, could lead the public to question its fairness.”
Rector said Hoover police will cooperate fully as the case is transferred to ALEA investigators.
“We remain committed to maintaining the integrity of this investigation, helping determine the facts involved, and assisting ALEA in their efforts,” Rector said. “We encourage anyone with information, photos or video evidence of this crime scene to please contact ALEA investigators.”
Anyone who wishes to remain anonymous and qualify for a cash reward can contact Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama at 205-254-7777.
Meanwhile, Hoover police will continue conducting their own internal investigation into the shooting by the Hoover police officer to determine if the officer followed department policy and whether any discipline is necessary, Rector said.
That officer has been placed on administrative leave, which is routine anytime an officer is involved in a shooting.
The 18-year-old Birmingham man who was shot in the torso was taken to UAB Hospital Thursday night in serious condition and remains in the hospital today, Rector said.
The 12-year-old girl, whom Rector described as an innocent bystander, also was wounded by gunfire. The girl, Molly Davis, was at the mall with her grandmother when she was struck in the back by a bullet, her mother, Julie Bennett of Calera, posted on Facebook.
See all stories related to the Riverchase Galleria shooting here.
