The man killed by police in Alabama a case of mistaken identity on Thanksgiving night was shot three times from behind, his family’s attorney has said.

One 18-year-old and one 12-year-old were injured, and the police announced afterwards that an officer had shot and killed the shooter.

Later, in turned out that the black 21-year-old, who the cop had shot to death was an innocent bystander, Emantic Bradford Jr. The unnamed police officer, who was the only one to kill someone that night, is still employed and doing administrative work for the police department.

Now the family of Mr Bradford Jr. is seeking answers as an investigation into whether the shooting was justified proceeds. The family commissioned a medical review, which showed that Mr Bradford was shot three times from behind.

Mr Bradford had gunshot wounds near his hip, neck, and head. He also had a cut on his face, indicating he fell forward during the gunshots.

In a statement, the family’s lawyer Ben Crump calls the evidence from the pathology report “devastating and heartbreaking.” The fact that Mr Bradford was shot from behind indicates that he posed no threat to the police officer," Mr Crump said.

Mr Bradford’s family suggested that Mr Bradford was in fact assisting others to escape the mall. “If anything, the evidence corroborates the testimony of multiple witnesses who said EJ was trying to help others,” Mr Crump added.

The family has also called for the body cam footage of the police officer to be released so they know the context of the shooting. However, evidence will not yet be released to the public, the police department has stated, to preserve the integrity of the case.

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Mr Bradford had a legal gun on him at the time of his death, and the police department claim that he had his hand on the firearm at the time he was shot.

Later, police apprehended another suspect named Erron Martez Dequan Brown, charging him with attempted murder of the 18-year-old during the mall shooting.