TUSCALOOSA, AL — A Tuscaloosa County jury returned a guilty verdict Thursday in the murder trial of the man who shot and killed a 19-year-old Indiana University student near the Tuscaloosa Strip in 2020.
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The verdict comes following nearly six years of legal proceedings after 19-year-old Schuyler Bradley was fatally shot in the stomach during an altercation on University Boulevard in the early morning hours of Oct. 16, 2020.
Zachary Profozich, who was 22 at the time, was initially charged with his murder after first being jailed for attempted murder in the immediate aftermath.
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A few minutes after the guilty verdict was handed down and the courtroom began to empty, an emotional scene developed as the mothers of both Bradley and Profozich embraced and cried.
After two alternate jurors were excused, the demographics of the 12-person jury that handed down the conviction consisted of six Black women, five White men and one White woman.
Deliberations began at 10:45 a.m. Thursday morning before the jury returned its verdict at 1:40 p.m. without taking a break for lunch or any other reason.
The jury was tasked with considering the murder charge and the lesser offense of manslaughter by Circuit Court Judge Allen W. May Jr.
At one point during its deliberations, the jury returned to the courtroom to ask Judge May to re-read the law on manslaughter before asking to see frame-by-frame video of the moments prior to and immediately following the shooting.
During closing arguments Thursday morning, Assistant District Attorney Leslie LaTurno pointed out that Profozich was the initial aggressor and the only person involved who pulled out a gun.
She also told the jury that no one heard Bradley utter any threats to Profozich nor did anyone see Bradley reach behind his back like he was going for a gun in his waistband — an aspect of the defense's case that attorneys used to argue Profozich acted in self-defense.
LaTurno then said Profozich left the scene, giving himself time to create a story to justify his actions.
"Zachary Profozich's actions were not justified," she said.
Conversely, defense attorney Mary Turner said Profozich was not only justified but provoked into pulling out his Ruger .357 and shooting Bradley from just a few feet away.
"We have to judge in the moment," she told the jury.
ALSO READ: Defendant Takes Stand In Murder Trial For 2020 Shooting; Jury To Begin Deliberations Thursday
Turner also painted the testimony of Bradley's friends presented to the jury on Wednesday as inconsistent, especially as it related to "the bump" or "shoulder check" on the sidewalk of University Boulevard that prompted the altercation.
Turner then underscored an important piece of video evidence where a blind spot on a security camera prevents the viewer from fully witnessing the moment the fatal shot was fired.
"More things happened in that blind spot than [the prosecution] wants to admit," she said. "Zach was reacting to the moment."
Assistant District Attorney Thomas Marshall delivered the state's rebuttal and said the law does not allow anyone to create a situation, pull a gun, shoot someone and then claim self-defense.
"This case is about a bruised ego," he said.
Judge May told the court he will sentence Profozich in a little over a month.
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