BPD addresses violent weekend after same officers respond to multiple shootings

NEWS AT FIVE STARTS NOW. ANOTHER VIOLENT WEEKEND FOR BIRMINGHAM POLICE. GOOD EVENING AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TONIGHT AT FIVE. I’M SHERI FALK. I’M GUY RAWLINGS FIVE SHOOTINGS LEAVING TWO PEOPLE DEAD, TWO OTHERS BADLY HURT. TODAY. BPD TALKING TO WVTM 13 ABOUT THE VIOLENT WEEKEND AND WVTM 13 MATTIE DAVIS JOINS US LIVE FROM POLICE HEADQUARTERS TONIGHT. MADDIE, THIS ISN’T JUST DIFFICULT FOR THE FAMILIES AFFECTED. THAT’S RIGHT. SHERRY AND OFFICERS CONTINUE TO SEE VIOLENCE BEING USED TO RESOLVE OFTEN SIMPLE CONFLICTS AND DISPUTES, SOMETHING THEY SAY IS NOT EASY TO EXPERIENCE AT THIS RATE. SINCE FRIDAY, OUR OFFICERS HAVE RESPONDED TO TO A TOTAL OF 11 PEOPLE SHOT THROUGHOUT FIVE DIFFERENT INCIDENTS THAT TOOK PLACE THROUGHOUT OUR CITY. ANOTHER WEEKEND PLAGUED BY VIOLENCE, BPD SPEAKING UP ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY OF WORKING THESE TRAGEDIES. WE WILL NEVER NORMALIZE VIOLENCE IN OUR CITY AND ANYTIME YOU HAVE THAT MANY PEOPLE SHOT IN ONE WEEKEND, WE’RE GOING TO ADDRESS IT. THREE SHOOTINGS WERE RESPONDED TO BY THE SAME SOUTH PRECINCT PATROL OFFICERS. THESE OFFICERS, THEY ARE JUST THE DEFINITION OF WHAT OUR PATROL BUREAU REPRESENTS. OFFICERS THAT GET UP EACH AND EVERY DAY AND AND PERFORM THEIR DUTY AND SERVE THIS CITY, THE OFFICERS EXPERIENCING FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS SHOT ON FRIDAY, TURNING AROUND FOR THEIR NEXT SHIFT TO INVESTIGATE FOR OTHER SHOTS. AND ON SUNDAY, A MAN TARGETED IN HIS OWN PARKING GARAGE. ANYTIME YOU HAVE A WEEKEND LIKE WE HAD AND YOU HAVE THESE OFFICERS WHO GOT UP EACH AND EVERY SHIFT AND SAW THAT THEY TAKE THAT HOME WITH THEM AND ONE OF THE OFFICERS ACTUALLY TOLD ME THAT HE KNEW THE VICTIM. SO THAT’S WHAT OUR OFFICERS ARE EXPERIENCING ON A DAILY BASIS RIGHT NOW. POLICE HAVE NO SUSPECTS IN CUSTODY CONNECTED TO ANY OF THESE SHOOTINGS. THEY NEED YOUR HELP TO BRING JUSTICE AND CURB THE VIOLENCE. WE OFTEN HEAR HOW MUCH THE COMMUNITY DEPENDS ON US, BUT RIGHT NOW, WE WANT TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND TELL THEM HOW MUCH WE DEPEND ON THEM. AND BPD TELLS US THEY’VE ACTUALLY SEEN A RISE IN TIPS COMING FROM THE COMMUNITY THIS YEAR. THE THE TYPE OF TEAMWORK THEY SAY IS NEEDED TO STOP THIS NARRATIVE OF CONTINUED VIOLENCE. LIVE IN BIRMINGHAM AND MATTIE