Alabama AG Decries State's 'Good Time' Law After Bibb County Deputy Killed In Line Of Duty

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The man accused of shooting two Bibb County sheriff's deputies, killing one, displayed a pattern of escalating criminal behavior resulting in numerous prison and jail stints prior to the deadly shooting, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said on Wednesday.

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And it's this criminal history, Marshall argues, that lays bare problems in Alabama's laws that in turn foster an environment where violent offenders are released after being given bond in jail or incentive time in prison.

Marshall said his office conducted an investigation of the circumstances around 26-year-old Austin Patrick Hall's previous releases from custody after Deputy Brad Johnson died of his injuries the day after the shooting, which occurred during a pursuit of Hall in a stolen vehicle.

Hall is accused of shooting the two deputies during the pursuit, with the other being released from the hospital shortly after the shooting. Police found Hall hiding in a tent in the Brierfield community in Bibb County the morning after the shooting.

He now stands charged with three counts of capital murder for killing Johnson and attempted murder for shooting the other deputy. A judge denied bond for Hall, who is currently being held in the Shelby County Jail.

Marshall explained that Hall's first brush with law enforcement could be traced back to 2016 when he was accused of theft and burglary — charges that resulted in probation. However, he would violate the terms of his probation with nine new theft and burglary charges shortly thereafter.

“Pursuant to a plea deal, he pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree theft and was sentenced in 2018 to nine years and nine months imprisonment in the Department of Corrections, likely due to his criminal history," Marshall said.

The attorney general then argued that Hall's criminal history was only just beginning.

Indeed, in 2019, Hall escaped from a work detail and fled across state lines before being quickly recaptured.

As is common practice in the Alabama judicial system, Hall served less than four years of his sentence and was granted correctional incentive time under a state law that Marshall referred to as "ultra-lenient."

Hall was released from prison on April 8 and days later bonded out of jail on 10 new charges in Calhoun County and a dozen charges from Chilton County, including assault on a police officer and illegal possession of a firearm.

And less than three months after bonding out, he now stands accused of killing one deputy, wounding another and prompting a manhunt that involved nearly 50 agencies.

"In both counties, his bond was set in keeping with the recommended fee range," Marshall said of Hall's most recent run-in with the law. "After he made bond, the shooter walked free to await his
trial."

Marshall then cited the death of Sheffield Police Department Sgt. Nick Risner, who was shot and killed in line of duty last fall. Risner's death resulted in a push in the legislature this spring to pass a law that now prevents convicts from being released early under Alabama’s “Good Time” law if they used a deadly weapon to kill someone.

Marshall said Johnson's death warrants the same treatment with respect to the current laws on the books set up to allow violent offenders to serve minimal time before being released back onto the streets.

"The People of Alabama have heard me say many times before that Alabama’s Correctional Incentive Time laws are broken," he said. "Had the shooter served his entire sentence, he would not have been able to commit his brazen crime spree across our State, which ended in capital murder. Furthermore, an inmate who escapes custody should never, under any circumstance, be rewarded with early release."

As a way to address the problem, Marshall argued for changing the crime of assault on a police officer from a Class C felony to a Class B felony.

"I stand ready to partner with the Alabama Legislature to correct these deficiencies at the earliest opportunity and will continue to fight against any effort to further weaken Alabama’s criminal justice system.”

A visitation for Deputy Brad Johnson will be held on Friday, July 8, from 9 a.m. until 11:15 a.m. at the University of Montevallo's Student Activity, which is located at 61 College Drive in Montevallo. It will be followed by a private burial ceremony.

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