Dozens of gunshots were fired in downtown Birmingham Wednesday evening, severely injuring a police officer and killing a man suspected of robbing a downtown supermarket.
It all began about 6:30 p.m. when North Precinct officers were dispatched to a robbery in progress at the Family Supermarket, a mom-n-pop store on 23rd Street North.
Birmingham Police Chief Patrick Smith said as officers arrived, they saw the suspect leaving the store. They encountered and attempted to stop him. The suspect then pulled out a handgun and opened fire.
Officer Cullen Stafford was shot multiple times.
Fellow officers loaded him into a police cruiser and rushed him to UAB Hospital’s Trauma Center. Stafford, shot between five to seven times, was out of surgery by 10 p.m. and police said his prognosis is good.
"We often talk about how our officers put their lives on the line every day for our safety,'' said Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin. “Tonight is proof of the courage, valor and strength it takes to wear that badge. Officer Stafford, your city stands with you.”
Multiple officers responded to Stafford’s call for help and, once they arrived, the suspect continued shooting at them. Multiple rounds were fired at the suspect and he was killed. His name has not yet been released.
Smith said the suspect fired from multiple locations, but the final burst of gunfire took place near a parking deck in the 500 block of 25th Street. He died in bushes close to the deck.
Authorities estimate between 50 to 100 rounds were fired in what has been described as a running gun battle, and an ambush.
There are reports that the suspect was firing from the parking deck before jumping to the bushes and continuing to fire, where he was ultimately killed. Police have not confirmed that account. At least one person was doing a Facebook live video from within the store, and then after exiting the store. That video recorded dozens of shots fired.
As of 10:30 p.m. the body of the suspect remained on the scene and had not yet been examined by investigators.
Officer Cullen Stafford in 2017
A second officer fell and suffered injuries in a severe fall. “His condition as far as I know is very good," Smith said.
Police blocked off a wide perimeter downtown and said the streets in that area would likely be closed for at least six hours. The chief estimated the crime scene includes five city blocks.
“He fired from multiple locations, so we have many crime scenes within a very large crime scene because of the number of times the suspect fired at our officers,’’ he said.
Smith praised the officers for quickly getting the wounded officer to the hospital. “The faster you get him there the better opportunity the surgeons and medical staff have to support the injured,” he said.
The shooting comes six months after the shooting death of Birmingham police Sgt. Wytasha Carter, who also was killed in downtown Birmingham. Officer Lucas Allums was seriously wounded in that shooting.
Wednesday night’s shooting is not the first line of duty injury for Stafford, a veteran officer who turns 36 on Thursday.
Stafford and officer Winston Hunt were seriously injured on June 30, 2017 when fleeing homicide suspects barreled into their patrol cruiser.
Hunt at the time was still on the training car after just graduating from the Birmingham Police Academy on March 17. Officers working the homicide scene spotted the possible suspect vehicle. They confirmed that it was in fact the suspects and a pursuit began. Another patrol car was waiting at the intersection of 18th and Grant, Sgt. Bryan Shelton said at the time. The suspects’ vehicle made its way to that area and collided with the patrol car sitting at 18th and Grant. The two officers were T-boned by a suspect fleeing the deadly shooting.
Stafford in 2017 was named the West Precinct’s first Officer of the Year. Stafford was chose as the 2016 winner. "Officer Stafford has been a training officer for several years and he has been training two officers from every academy class and training transfers from other agencies assigned to the West Precinct,'' said then Capt. Paul Irwin, who is now the Pell City Police Chief. “All of the officers he has trained speak very highly of him, and this is the leadership that we need within all levels of law enforcement to be effective.”
He said at the time Stafford also continuously responds to Shot Spotter calls. "He locates people who are firing weapons and most of the individuals end up being charged federally for the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon,'' Irwin said.
Multiple officers were keeping vigil at UAB Hospital Wednesday night. Police officials said Stafford will have to undergo additional surgeries for his injuries.
“It’s very difficult for everyone, but this is a very tough job,’’ Smith said Wednesday night. “We have officers who are here who we’ve provided a lot of training to, a lot of support. We’re going to continue support them throughout this process, just like we did throughout the time we lost Sgt. Carter.”
“I’m very confident our officers will do very well,’’ he said, “it’s just a matter of having the appropriate training and support behind you.”
“The Birmingham Police Department is out here working for you,’’ the chief said. “We’re going to do everything we can to make this city safe. Our officers are dedicated, and you can see just in the sheer actions that we’re not taking this for granted. Birmingham is going to be a much better place in the future.”
Asked if he had a message for criminals, Smith said this: “Our officers our out here to do a job and we’re going to take care of the problems and circumstances we encounter.”
"Tonight was a violent night in our city, but shows the dedication and professionalism of our police officers,'' said Sgt. Richard Haluska, Birmingham’s FOP president. “Officers day in and day out put their lives in danger to protect the citizens of the city. Officers never know when they may not make it home. They still show up day after day and perform their duties. Officers courageously run toward danger to protect the city.”
He said the events highlight the actions of the chief, mayor and city councils members as they look at new ways make the city safer.
"The new proposed crime center will push law enforcement to the next level of crime fighting, also allowing the Officers to better predict crime trends and put measures in place to make the city safe,'' Haluska said. “These three have been working to get new more advanced equipment for police officers to allow them to perform their jobs more efficiently. It is good to see that the city is pushing to provide better wages, benefits, and working conditions for the police department.”
"With the support of city officials, it’s a goal of the F.O.P to provide officers with the support they need to help keep them safe and on the cutting edge of the fight against crime,'' he said. "Tonight all of our thoughts and prayers go out to the officer and his family. This situation demonstrates the importance of the police department having the support of city officials in our efforts to protect the citizens we serve. "
Hours after Stafford was injured, a South Precinct officer fired his weapon after witnessing two groups of people shooting at each other in the Southtown public housing community.
One person was shot in that incident.
“We believe they were already injured when the officer arrived on the scene,” Birmingham police spokesman Sgt. Johnny Williams said, pointing out that the person was removed from the scene before the officer arrived and taken to a hospital in a private vehicle.
About an hour after the Southtown gun battle, a Gardendale police officer shot a man who was armed with a gun after the man tried to run over the officer outside of a church, officials said.
It was the third shooting involving an officer in Jefferson County in a span of less than five hours Wednesday night.
The Gardendale incident began shortly after 11 p.m. at the rear entrance to First Baptist Church in Gardendale. ALEA State Bureau of Investigation Lt. Jon Riley said a Gardendale officer went to the church parking lot to investigate a report of a suspicious vehicle.
When the officer arrived, there were four people standing outside the vehicle, one of them armed with a gun. The man holding the gun jumped into a vehicle and then tried to run over the officer, Riley said. The officer fired shots at the fleeing vehicle.
The man’s vehicle crashed off the roadway. He was found wounded, and taken to UAB Hospital’s Trauma Center.