Alabama attorney general pays tribute to fallen Bibb County deputy

BIBB COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) -Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall took a somber tour of the state today to remember and honor the fallen heroes in law enforcement. The attorney general’s first stop in the morning was Bibb County.

Marshall stopped in Bibb County to remember fallen deputy Brad Johnson who was shot and killed last summer during a chase.

“Brad’s story has been told widely,” said Attorney General Steve Marshall.

Told and shared across the state and the nation, the story is of a courageous deputy in hot pursuit of a suspect who died, shot by suspect Austin Patrick Hall, according to authorities. Deputy Brad Johnson was 32-years old.

“We have created what we call the praying hands for the fallen,” said Marshall.

Inside the Bibb County Sheriff’s Department in Centreville, the attorney general presented the praying hands statue and a proclamation honoring and remembering Brad Johnson. Johnson’s fellow deputy, Chris Poole, was also shot in the same chase and made a full recovery.

“Brad was an amazing kind of deputy, cared about the work he did, a great father,” said Deputy Poole.

“Greater love has no man to lay down his life for his friends, those friends were in this fight together,” said Bibb County officer, Jody West.

Attorney General Marshall also spoke about the on-going efforts in the Alabama legislature in changing the so-called good time behavior law for inmates, turning them loose after only serving a portion of their punishment. Austin Hall was freed despite a lengthy criminal record.

“His loss is also a lesson for us in this state about ways we can do things better particularly the situation how his murderer was released and how he was on the streets and appreciate the advocates of the sheriff and his department in what should be a change in Alabama’s laws in an act that will honor Brad by name,” said Marshall.

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