Hundreds of protestors gathered at an Alabama mall this weekend demanding justice for Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford, Jr—the 21-year-old black man who was killed by police earlier this week.
As previously reported, the fatal shooting occurred Thanksgiving night following a physical altercation inside the Riverchase Galleria mall. The fight escalated to gunfire, and a nearby officer rushed to the chaotic scene. It was at this time that the uninformed cop shot Bradford to death, claiming he had saw the young man running away with a firearm.
Shortly after the incident, authorities announced law enforcement had killed the gunman; however, they later retracted that statement, admitting that the officer "likely" shot the wrong man.
"Over the past 20 hours, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigators and crime scene technicians have interviewed numerous individuals and examined several critical evidentiary items," Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector said in a statement. "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."
According to the Associated Press, authorities said they believe "at least one gunman" is still at large. The officer who killed Bradford has been placed on administrative leave as the department conducts an investigation.
As questions remained, more than 200 protestors marched at the mall Saturday alongside Bradford's family members. Participants went on to conduct a moment of silence while holding signs that read "Black Lives Matter," "No Police Violence," and "Justice for EJ."
Bradford's family attended the march.
"They should have never have killed him," said Emani Smith, Bradford's 7-year-old half-sister.
