A fatal officer-involved shooting on Thanksgiving in the Birmingham, AL, suburb of Hoover sparked outrage among many when it was discovered that the man who was killed by police was an Army veteran who possessed a permit to carry a weapon.
Officers were responding to a shots-fired call at a shopping mall when they reportedly encountered 21-year-old Emantic "EJ" Bradford Jr. with a gun in his hand.
In a statement released Monday, police said that Bradford should not have drawn his weapon, according to NBC News.
"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," the statement said.
"We extend sympathy to the family of Emantic J. Bradford of Hueytown, who was shot and killed during Hoover Police efforts to secure the scene in the seconds following the original altercation and shooting. The loss of human life is a tragedy under any circumstances," the statement said.
The department said that 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," the department said.
The gunman who initially fired shots that drew the calls for police response remains at large, according to the department.
