Protesters are set to escalate their actions in Hoover in the wake of the police-involved shooting death of Emantic “E.J.” Bradford, Jr. at the Riverchase Galleria on Thanksgiving night.
On Monday morning, Bradford’s family and their representatives held a press conference in which they released private autopsy results showing Bradford was shot three times from behind.
The results led them to conclude that Bradford was “murdered” and that charges should be filed against the officer who shot him. This came approximately an hour after Hoover officials said they would not release video footage or evidence on the investigation until it was concluded by the State Bureau of Investigation, at the request of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
At the press conference, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has been hired by the Bradford family and previously represented the families of Tamir Rice, Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin, referred to the situation as a “powder keg.”
One representative who spoke from the microphone near the end of the conference said the young protesters in Hoover were “almost uncontrollable,” while Pastor Mike McClure said he did not know how long he could hold off the protesters turning away from nonviolence.
National civil rights activist and politician Jesse Jackson, Sr. was on hand, as well. He alleged that a “coverup” was taking place, in spite of Crump speaking with confidence about ALEA’s handling of the investigation and new Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr’s commitment to “doing the right thing.”
Jackson was firm in his calls for nonviolence from the protesters, saying, “Don’t diminish the morale authority of EJ… Don’t embarrass the family.”
For everyone involved, the activists stressed that this was a landmark incident, with Jackson saying it was similar to what he viewed as previous historic “murders” of young black men – like Brown and Martin.
“The whole world is watching,” Crump emphasized.
Watch the press conference:
Protest leader Carlos Chaverst, Jr. took to Facebook after the press conference to say, “F**k peace, we want justice for EJ. They murdered him.”
He added, “Until the tapes are released I will release the addresses of HOOVER police officers, city councilors, city officials, and everybody else UNTIL we get justice for EJ.”
The protesters have also threatened to go to city schools to protest, as well as “every single place we need to.” They have called police officers “terrorists” and “klansmen,” also using racial slurs singling out black officers.
At least one member of an organization categorized by the SPLC and US Commission on Civil Rights as a hate group that has incited violence in the past against law enforcement and Jewish and white people has been a part of protesting thus far.
Update:
Right before 11:30 a.m., Chaverst posted the home address of a Hoover police captain.
Update:
At approximately 11:45 a.m., Chaverst announced that Facebook had taken down his post containing the police captain’s address and the picture of his home.
Update:
At 11:57 a.m., Chaverst told the followers on his live stream, “It is time to go crazy.”
Update:
At 12:05 p.m., Chaverst claimed he would get the officer’s name who shot Bradford “within an hour.”
Update (12:08 p.m.):
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
