Alabama Teen Claims Self-Defense in Shooting. Prosecutors Call It Murder.

An 18-year-old in Walker County, Alabama was granted $250,000 bond this week on murder charges this week, after shooting and killing a 46-year-old man in what his attorney says was an act of self-defense. 

Police and prosecutors seem to concur that Stephen Morrow was shot and killed after smashing the driver’s side window of Timothy Crawford’s truck and then reaching inside, but prosecutors contend that Crawford instigated Morrow by following him and his wife after a confrontation inside the local Walmart.

According to Sumiton Assistant Police Chief Chris Lollar, Morrow accidentally bumped into one of Crawford’s friends inside the store, which led to a “verbal altercation” between the two groups. A store employee asked Crawford and his buddies to leave, but the argument was apparently heated enough that Morrow too left the store and called police from just outside the entrance. 

When officers responded, they informed Crawford and his friends that they were trespassed and could not return to the store. That should have included the Walmart’s parking lot as well, but police say Crawford and his buddies waited as Morrow went back inside and resumed shopping. 

About 13 minutes later, Lollar said, Morrow and wife exited the store and went to the vehicle. Crawford was still in the parking lot in his truck.

When Morrow made it to the stop sign to get onto Highway 78, Lollar said Crawford fell in behind the victim’s Tahoe.

“He speeds up with his headlights off,” the assistant chief said.

Once Morrow got into the turn lane, Crawford ran the stop sign to get behind Morrow and was “revving his engine.”

Lollar said instead of heading toward home, he went in a different direction because he didn’t want Crawford to follow them to their residence.

“He did not want to take him home,” he testified.

Both vehicles eventually pulled into the parking lot of Los Reyes Mexican restaurant on Highway 78, where Lollar said video showed them circling the lot about three times.

“After watching the video, you could tell the defendant followed him,” Lollar said.

Morrow stopped his SUV and approached the passenger side of Crawford’s truck. He said Morrow “somehow breaks the passenger window” and reached inside.

Under cross examination from Crawford’s attorney, Sam Bentley, Lollar said Morrow was far enough inside of the Crawford’s truck that his feet were no longer touching the ground.

That is when Crawford shot Morrow.

The entire incident from the time of the altercation on aisle #23 until the shooting lasted 29 minutes.

Based on the assistant chief’s testimony, Crawford’s actions throughout most of those 29 minutes were uncalled for. He could and should have driven away from the Walmart after he and his friends were trespassed. If he’d done so, that would be the end of the story. Instead, he let his anger get the best of him and pursued Morrow. Why? What was going through his head at the time? What was he hoping to see or do if Morrow and his wife drove to their home? 

Having said that, Morrow also let his anger get the best of him by approaching Crawford’s truck, breaking the driver’s side window, and reaching inside. Morrow had already contacted police once. Why not call 911 to report that the guy who was just trespassed from Walmart is now following him and driving aggressively? Why not head to the local police department, which appears to be located less than a mile from the Walmart, instead of pulling into a Mexican restaurant to confront the teen? 

Here’s another question. During the hearing, Crawford’s father testified that he believed his son, who has been diagnosed with high functioning autism, “was a grown man physically, but he didn’t see him as a grown man mentally.” If that’s the case, then why did he buy his son a handgun for his 18th birthday? 

It seems to me that there was a series of bad decisions that led to Morrow’s fatal shooting, and they didn’t all happen within that 29-minute span between Morrow accidentally bumping into someone and Crawford pulling trigger after Morrow smashed a window and reached into Crawford’s truck. 

If you believe your child lacks the maturity to behave responsibly, don’t buy them a gun. If someone ticks you off in a grocery store, walk away. If someone is acting like a dangerous fool behind the wheel, contact police. If any of those things had happened, Stephen Morrow would probably be alive today and Timothy Crawford wouldn’t be facing murder charges. I have no idea how this case will be resolved, but even if a judge or jury finds that Crawford did act in self-defense, it was a defensive gun use that never needed to happen. 

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