2 Arrested As Dozens Protest Attorney General’s Decision Not To Charge Hoover Officer In E.J. Bradford Case
“What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!” – That was one of the many chants heard at a Wednesday afternoon protest in downtown Montgomery that ended with the arrest of 2 women.
Dozens stood alongside the parents of Emantic “EJ” Bradford Jr. with a message meant for Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, just one day after his office announced the decision not to charge the Hoover Police Officer that fatally shot Bradford with murder.
Bradford, who had a gun, was mistaken for the shooter in the initial Thanksgiving-night mall shooting at the River Chase Galleria. His parents were among the handful people, including local activists to speak out at the protest.
“I stand here today to tell the world that we are tired of you killing our children, and then having the audacity to call it justice” said Bradford’s mother, April Pipkins.
“He should have been charged with something” said his father Bradford Sr. “you don’t make that decision, you should have sent that tape to the grand jury and let them make that decision” he added, in reference to Tuesday’s decision that the officer’s actions were justified according to the Attorney General’s office.
The protest was initially peaceful, though things eventually got heated between officers and a handful of protesters that began demonstrating on the opposite side of the building. They were eventually met by officers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
Two women were arrested for trying to enter the Attorney General office building. The women say they were trying to retrieve their signs, that they say were illegally confiscated by officers. Officers were seen taking some of the groups signs into the building. Shortly after the two women were seen pulling on the door, unable to get in.
ALEA officers say the women along with other protesters were warned several times to leave the property, though most insisted the building and the surrounding area are public property and refused.
The group eventually disbanded after the arrests, not without exchanging words with officers. Still, organizers said the protests won’t stop with their demonstration in Montgomery, and they’ll continue to seek justice for Bradford with protests in other cities as well.
Alabama News Network reached out to the Attorney General’s office for comment after the protest– a spokesperson told us the Attorney General’s Office has already commented extensively on the facts of the case in the investigative report they released Tuesday, and have no further comment.
