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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — A member of the Brighton City Council was arrested Monday and charged with tampering with evidence, specifically relating to a video showing two people who were shot dead in the town last winter that he allegedly released to the media while police were investigating the case.
Jerome Edward McMullin Jr. was arrested after 10 a.m. Monday, where he was charged with tampering with evidence, a Class A misdemeanor, and obstruction of government operations.
According to court records, McMullin allegedly made a video showing a double homicide that was caught on a security camera outside the Brighton Community Center on Dec. 13. Prosecutors claim that he recorded the security footage from his personal cellphone and released it to the media while the case was under active investigation.
Deputies with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office responded to the shooting after 2 p.m. Dec. 13, where two men had been shot. They were subsequently pronounced dead at the scene.
Law enforcement report that a funeral gathering was taking place at the center at the time of the shooting.
“This was video that shouldn’t be released to the public because an active investigation was going on by Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department that could be detrimental for apprehension of the suspects and conviction,” Brighton Police Chief Larry Woods said in a statement.
McMullin, 54, has been on the Brighton City Council since 2012.
He was released from the Birmingham Jail before noon Monday after posting $1,000 bond.
The case is under investigation.