In the midst of a Wednesday afternoon in Birmingham, Alabama, a series of events unfolded that would end the life of 21-year-old Eusi Malik Kater Jr. On January 20, 2021, officers from the Birmingham Police Department's south precinct responded to a neighborhood after receiving reports of shots being fired.
Upon their arrival at approximately 2 p.m., they encountered Kater. As officers approached, a foot chase began.
During the pursuit, it was reported that Kater fired several shots at the officers. He then allegedly climbed onto a porch and fired at the officers again. In an attempt to de-escalate the situation, officers returned fire, striking Kater.
Following the exchange of gunfire, Kater was transported to a local hospital where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. No police officers were injured during the incident, and a handgun was recovered at the scene. The officers involved in the shooting were not immediately identified. It was later reported that Kater had been released from prison in 2020 after a 2018 conviction for unlawfully breaking and entering a vehicle. The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation was tasked with reviewing the officer-involved shooting.
