The Latest: City meets with family of man killed by police

Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The Latest on the fatal shooting of a black man at an Alabama shopping mall (all times local):

4 p.m.

City officials in Alabama say they met with the family of a man killed by a police officer and apologized for inaccurately describing him as the gunman in a Thanksgiving night shooting at a crowded mall.

The city of Hoover issued a statement Wednesday saying the mayor, police chief and a city council members met with the family of Emantic "EJ" Bradford, Jr.

Bradford was killed by an officer responding to a report of a mall shooting.

The statement says city officials offered their condolences and "answered any questions that they could."

The statement also says Police Chief Nick Derzis "apologized for an inaccurate public statement in the wake of this tragedy that implied that Mr. Bradford was the suspected shooter."

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2 p.m.

An Alabama city is canceling its Christmas tree lighting after police shot and killed a black man inside a shopping mall on Thanksgiving.

Demonstrators protesting the death of Emantic "EJ" Bradford Jr. had planned a demonstration at the event, which was set for Thursday at City Hall in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover.

But a statement from the city says the lighting is being postponed out of respect for the loss of life. The statement says the city is offering thoughts and prayers to Bradford's family and hoping for healing.

Police say an officer killed Bradford after seeing him with a gun following a shooting that wounded two people at the mall. Authorities first identified Bradford as the shooter but later said they were wrong.

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7:20 a.m.

The funeral for a black man shot to death by police inside an Alabama shopping mall will be held in the city auditorium in Birmingham.

Services for 21-year-old Emantic "EJ" Bradford Jr. are set for 10 a.m. Saturday at the 5,000-seat Boutwell Auditorium.

A family aide announced the arrangements during a vigil Tuesday where the man's parents talked about the pain of him dying in a police shooting in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover.

Bradford's mother collapsed as she began speaking about her loss. His father cried as he described missing hearing his son call him "daddy."

Police say an officer killed Bradford after seeing him with a gun following a shooting at the mall. Authorities first identified Bradford as the shooter but later said they were wrong.