INTERVIEW: Parents of the Black man fatally shot in the face by Hoover police in an Alabama mall demand answers

In an interview with theGrio, E.J. Bradford's parents say he was a young man who was ready to enjoy his life.

While protestors are demanding that the Hoover Police Department release video from the police body cameras and mall surveillance in the shooting death of E.J Bradford, his parents are preparing to lay him to rest.

Wendy L. Wilson

Nov 27, 2018

E.J Bradford thegrio.com — While protestors are demanding that the Hoover Police Department release video from the police body cameras and mall surveillance cameras in the shooting death of E.J Bradford, his parents prepare to lay him to rest. (Photos courtesy of Ben Crump.)

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Thanksgiving 2018 is a day April Pipkins will never forget. While other families spent the afternoon enjoying food, football, and the frenzy of a hectic household, Pipkins was receiving news that her 21-year old son, Emantic “EJ” Bradford Jr. had been shot and killed by a police officer near Birmingham, Alabama.

Bradford Jr. had gone to the Riverchase Galleria mall in Birmingham that night. Pipkins says he was there to hang out with friends and take advantage of some of the early Black Friday deals. Someone had other intentions and fired shots inside the mall causing terrified shoppers to scatter and ultimately wounding two victims; an 18-year-old and a 12-year-old, both of whom survived, but are still hospitalized.

An officer, working security at the mall, responded immediately and fatally shot Bradford Jr. in the face. A statement released by the Hoover Police Department shortly after the incident suggested that Bradford Jr. had started the fight with the 18-year old victim and then tried to flee the scene, praising the officer as a “hero.”

Less than 24 hours later, the police realized they got it wrong.

After the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigators and crime scene technicians interviewed numerous witnesses and examined critical parts of evidence, they acknowledged that Bradford Jr. “likely did not fire the rounded that injured the 18-year old victim.”

Here we go again—another innocent Black man is dead. Another set of parents prepare to bury their child. Another cop is put on leave while we figure out why it’s seems common practice to shoot first and ask questions later when encountering a Black person. The narrative is getting old and yet, we can’t seem to make it through a month without another name added to the list where the only cause of death is being Black in America.

While the real assailant is still at large, Pipkins and E.J.’s father, Emantic Bradford Sr., remain shocked and devastated, questioning what exactly happened to their son.

“I’m really not sure what happened to my child and that’s what I’m hoping to find out,” said Pipkins in an interview with theGrio. “All that I know is that he was executed— shot by the police. And, at this point, no one from the Hoover police department has contacted neither me nor his father. We found out about E.J.’s death on social media.”

Their family is demanding answers and has retained famed civil right attorney Benjamin Crump to help figure things out.

“He saw a Black man with a gun and he made his determination that he must be a criminal,” Crump said at a press conference with the family earlier this week. “They concluded their investigation while E.J. was (lying) on the mall floor, bleeding out, dying. … There’s a murderer on the loose largely because police rushed to judgment.”

Part of the reason why police initially rushed to judgement is because they claim Bradford Jr., who had no criminal record, had brandished his gun. Yes, he was carrying his firearm at the time, but his mother pointed out that Bradford Jr. was a licensed gun owner and had a concealed weapon permit giving him every right to do so.

“I knew that he would never shoot anybody,” said Pipkins. “With everything going on in general, he got his gun permit. I don’t remember ever having a conversation with him about having issues with the police, but we did talk about how to deal with the police. I believe that every mother should have that talk with their child.”

After working with as a correctional officer for the Birmingham City Jails over the last 25 years, E.J’s father, Bradford Sr., who is suffering with cancer, recently retired. He understands how law enforcement works and says he is upset and disappointed by the lack of response from the police department and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency who are now leading the investigation.

“I know that’s not how you handle business. This is not proper procedure,” said Bradford Sr. in an interview with theGrio. “He was a good kid. He had hopes of working at the post office and had already passed the test. He had a good job now, so I just encouraged him to enjoy himself. He was planning on picking up a new car this week. He was so excited about that. I wanted him to take his time and enjoy his life.”

A joint statement between the City of Hoover, Alabama and the Hoover Police Department, reads:

“We would like to answer some media questions concerning our earlier statements in reference to the shooting victim, Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford, Jr. of Hueytown. Earlier, we stated that Mr. Bradford “brandished” a gun. To clarify, the word “brandish” was used because Mr. Bradford had a gun in his hand as police officers responded to the active shooter situation between mall patrons.

We are deeply and sincerely sympathetic to Mr. Bradford’s grieving family and all of those affected by this incident. We all want answers and we believe that with patience and focus, the truth will be firmly established.”

That has little comfort to Bradford Jr.’s parents who, instead of planning for the holidays, are planning for his funeral service. Yesterday, they had the heavy burden of picking out a casket and deciding whether or not to open it based on the injuries sustained to his face.

While Hoover police officials figure out next steps, protests have been erupting outside of the mall and elsewhere in Birmingham calling for justice in the name of E.J. Bradford Jr. His family wants to see the body-cam video and the mall footage in order to decide what happened to E.J. for themselves. After the initial misidentification, they simply don’t trust anything the Hoover Police Department has to say.

A “Prayer & Justice Community Meeting” sponsored by the Alabama chapter of the National Action Network will be held at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham this evening. Like so many other Black mothers, Pipkins plans to attend, as she and Bradford Sr. now begin a different journey together; finding out who shot her boy and why.