VCU: Deadly Tuscaloosa Police Shooting Stopped Woman's Stabbing

Investigators say a deadly officer-involved shooting in Tuscaloosa early Monday morning was captured entirely on body camera footage and was a clear life-saving measure as a woman attacked her adult daughter with a kitchen knife.

Captain Jack Kennedy, the commander of the multi-agency Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, said the incident happened around 4:30 Monday morning when family called Tuscaloosa Police to help control 45-year-old Evet Michelle Tower.

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Kennedy said Tower suffered from some mental illnesses and was "exhibiting symptoms," acting erratically enough for several members of her family to call for help before dawn.

He said two Tuscaloosa Police officers responded to Aspen Village Apartments off Skyland Boulevard near Woods & Water and had around five minutes of seemingly productive conversation with Tower while they waited for paramedics to arrive.

Without warning, Tower allegedly went inside her apartment, grabbed a kitchen knife and charged her adult daughter with the knife.

"While awaiting medical, the mother grabbed a kitchen knife from the kitchen, and charged at her adult daughter, forcing her into a corner, and aggressively attempting to stab her," Kennedy said.

"There was no forewarning of this," Kennedy said. "They were literally having discussions with her about her symptoms, who her doctors might have been, her daughters and other family members were trying to help officers get information about her medical past and I feel for the family - I don't know why the mother did this, obviously she had some mental issues - but she charged into the kitchen, grabbed a knife, charged at one of her adult daughters, forced her into a corner and tried to stab her repeatedly."

Kennedy said as Tower was trying to stab the woman, one of the police officers drew their sidearm and shot the 45-year-old.

Kennedy said Tower was hit multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene. Her would-be victim, the adult daughter, was also wounded, although Kennedy was not able to say if she was hurt by the knife or grazed by a bullet or bullet fragment from the officer who shot her mother.

He said her injury required surgery but was a hand wound and is not considered life-threatening.

"I can't express to you how clear the video is in this one," Kennedy said. "The knife was in [Tower's] hand aggressively stabbing at the daughter multiple times. It was a terrible, terrible situation for the family and the officer and everyone involved."

The VCU does not ever release body camera footage publicly - any decision to do so would be made by either the district attorney or the police department when the investigation concludes.

"This was captured clearly on two body cameras that both provided the entire course of events from the time they arrived on the scene to well after the shooting," Kennedy said. "We, at this time, do not have any probable cause to believe a crime has been committed."

That will ultimately be decided by a grand jury, who will be presented with evidence gathered in this case and determine whether criminal charges are merited.

Per TPD protocol, both officers who were inside the apartment during the shooting will be placed on administrative leave while the VCU investigates the shooting. Although some TPD employees serve on the Violent Crimes Unit, only investigators who are not affiliated with the department will be involved in this case.

It marks the fifth homicide in Tuscaloosa County in 2024 and the second deadly shooting involving Tuscaloosa Police in four months.

This is a developing story and will be updated.