(AP Photo)
HOOVER, Ala. (AP) — Police in Alabama are promising to be “transparent” after an officer killed a black man when gunfire erupted at a shopping mall.
Hoover Police initially described the officer as “heroic” for bringing down Emantic “EJ” Bradford Jr., who was seen carrying a gun after two people were wounded at the Riverchase Galleria mall outside Birmingham Thanksgiving night.
Then they retracted the statement, saying it’s “unlikely” Bradford was involved.
Bradford’s father said his son had a permit to carry the weapon.
Now police are suggesting he shouldn’t have pulled it out.
The Monday morning statement says “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.”
