ACLU To Sue AG, Hoover PD Over EJ Bradford Shooting Footage

HOOVER, AL - Almost four months after the death of Emenatic "EJ" Bradford at the hands of a Hoover police officer, the American Civil Liberties Union and Bradford family attorney Ben Crump intend to sue Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and the Hoover Police Department for their refusal to release video footage of the Thanksgiving night shooting that took Bradford's life at the Riverchase Galleria.

A statement issued by the ACLU Monday said, "On March 1, Attorney General Steve Marshall formally responded to our public records request by refusing to produce videos, documents, and even the names of officers involved in the killing of E.J. Bradford. In response, the ACLU of Alabama along with Bradford’s parents, Bradford family attorney Benjamin Crump, and the Alabama NAACP sued Marshall and the Hoover Police Department on Monday over their refusal to turn over evidence that’s in the public interest."

Bradford and his friend Brian Wilson were involved in an altercation at the Riverchase Galleria Thanksgiving night, and the altercation led to shots being fired. When a Hoover police officer arrived at the scene, he shot and killed Bradford, who was holding a gun. Initial reports said Bradford was the shooter, but that was determined through the investigation to be false.

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“It’s ludicrous and insulting that the state of Alabama thinks we should simply take their word about what happened, without letting us see the full and unedited video footage and without releasing the officer’s name who killed E.J.,” Crump said. “In a state with the racial history of Alabama, why would anyone believe their account of a white officer shooting a black man, especially when they’re trying to hide some of the evidence? It’s so unfortunate they have left us with no choice but to sue for video they don’t want us to see and for the name of the officer to be released.”

Earlier this month, Marshall released a report concluding that the officer was “justified” in the shooting death of E.J. Bradford. Marshall said the facts of the case "demonstrate that Officer 1 reasonably exercised his official powers, duties, or functions when he shot E.J. Bradford."

On Feb. 20, the ACLU, NAACP, and the family of E.J. Bradford jointly submitted a public records request to the Hoover Police Department and Office of the Attorney General asking for the release of all body-worn camera footage, all surveillance footage, other materials relied on in the attorney general’s investigation, the name of the officer responsible for killing Bradford and of the other officers who were involved in the incident, and materials relied on by the attorney general in deciding to assert jurisdiction over the investigation.

"Law enforcement should provide appropriate data and comprehensive data on its practices and performance, and agencies should not shield officers from scrutiny for violations of law, policy, and community trust," the ACLU said in a statement.

Marshall said that he may refuse to respond to the records request because of the pending criminal charges against the suspected shooter, Erron Brown.

"We hope that the Attorney General Marshall and the Hoover Police Department will agree that with us that transparency is paramount here and agree to produce the records without a court order," the ACLU said. "However, we have set a 10-day deadline for them to make that decision, and if we don’t get a response agreeing to produce the records by March 2, we plan to sue under the Alabama Public Records Act."