EJ Bradford Was Shot 3 Times From Behind: Autopsy Report

HOOVER, AL - Although the Hoover Police Department and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency have opted not to release video footage of the Thanksgiving night shooting at the Riverchase Galleria that claimed the life of 21-year-old EJ Bradford, an autopsy shows that Bradford was shot three times by the officer, each from behind.

The Bradford family attorney, Benjamin Crump, announced the results of the autopsy Monday morning — the same day Hoover police and city officials announced they would not release critical information about the shooting at the request of the ALEA, which is investigating the shooting.

“Hoover officials are respecting the requests of ALEA to not release any information at the risk of compromising the justice process for everyone involved,’’ Derzis said in a statement released this morning.

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Crump said that Bradford was shot in the back of the right side of his skull and the bullet exited through his left eye. The second bullet entered his neck and lodged in his tonsils, according to the report, and the third shot entered the right side of Bradford’s hip area, moving through his hip bone and stopping in his abdominal wall.

Crump said that Bradford’s injuries suggest that he was running away from the scene when shot. Witnesses allege that Bradford was trying to help people running from the gunshots.

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

The suspect in the shooting, 20-year-old Erron Brown, was captured in Georgia last week by U.S. Marshals.

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