Report after report is coming out about the violent incident that took place at the Riverchase Galleria. Cable news segments have been devoted to it and numerous news stories have been written with very little actual information being available. Some of the coverage from mainstream media is now inserting a racial element into Emantic “EJ” Bradford Jr.’s death at the hands of law enforcement on Thanksgiving.
The initial public statements from law enforcement regarding the incident at the mall are partly to blame for what is going down and how this is being covered. The belief they neutralized the shooter after the initial shooting was obviously in error, considering the original gunman is still at-large. Now, they do not believe Bradford fired the rounds that struck a 18-year-old man and 12-year-old girl after an argument over tennis shoes.
However, law enforcement does believe Bradford was involved in the initial confrontation and was on the scene once they intervened. This is where the coverage of this situation borders on being irresponsible.
Law enforcement has made it clear that the individual who was shot and killed by police was “brandishing” a firearm.
Per AL.com:
We can say with certainty Mr. Bradford brandished a gun during the seconds following the gunshots, which instantly heightened the sense of threat to approaching police officers responding to the chaotic scene. Body camera video and other available video was immediately turned over to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department as part of the investigation. Now, all evidence has been handed over to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) to lead the investigation. Release of any video will be done as ALEA deems appropriate during the investigation.
The use of that word “brandishing” is important.
Let’s look at the definition:
1 : to shake or wave (something, such as a weapon) menacingly
brandished a knife at them
2 : to exhibit in an ostentatious or aggressive manner
brandishing her intellect
It is unlikely that law enforcement is unintentionally using this word.
If Bradford was in fact “brandishing” a firearm in the vicinity of a shooting at a shopping mall, it is not all that surprising that the police reacted to that.
How that reaction played out is the entire story here and will tell us if this was a “good shoot” or not.
It is also important to note that Hoover police have turned over all their body cameras to the State Bureau of Investigation and an investigation will answer most of the questions at hand.
The mistakes of the Hoover Police Department in the aftermath of the shooting are not forgivable, but they also do not indicate misdeeds on the part of the officer who pulled the trigger — yet.
Some people will never be happy with the investigation unless their desired outcome is achieved, which is why protests have happened and more are planned before more information comes out. This accomplishes nothing but, but this is also why the end results are never believed and cries of “cover-up” persist.
Either way this plays out, this event is terrible. A young man is dead and multiple others are shot in what appears to be an argument over tennis shoes.
@TheDaleJackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a conservative talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN
