Semmes city attorney says Bowman’s shooting would not have happened if he wasn’t breaking the law

SEMMES, Ala. (WALA) - The Semmes city attorney is placing blame for the shooting of Johnny Bowman Jr. on Bowman himself, saying the incident never would have happened if Bowman had not been violating a city zoning ordinance by residing inside his commercial business.

“Ironically, none of this would have happened if he wasn’t breaking the law,” City Attorney Jacob Fuller wrote in an email to FOX10 News.

The statement comes as Bowman’s federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Semmes, two officers, and the police chief moves through the courts, and as Semmes Mayor Brandon Van Hook and Fuller are offering different interpretations of whether Bowman had any right to be inside his own business the night police shot him five times.

The Zoning Question

When FOX10 News asked Fuller whether the city intends to pursue zoning fines or penalties against Bowman, he wrote: “I’m not at liberty, at this time, to discuss whether Mr. Bowman (and potentially others) will be charged with zoning offenses. In my opinion, he absolutely should be. He’s clearly breaking the law. Ironically, none of this would have happened if he wasn’t breaking the law.”

Fuller says Bowman’s Auto Air is zoned “B2 - General Business” under the city’s zoning ordinance. According to that ordinance, residential uses are not permitted in B-2 districts. The ordinance states that anyone found in violation — upon conviction — faces a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $150 per day, with each day constituting a separate offense.

Fuller provided FOX10 News with a copy of the zoning ordinance as part of his email response.

What the City Attorney Said — Then and Now

Fuller’s position has been consistent and unambiguous since January.

Just days after the January 4 shooting, Fuller addressed a Semmes City Council meeting where residents demanded the release of body camera footage. At that meeting, Fuller said: “It’s a business, not a residence. Nobody is supposed to even be in there spending the night.”

Following FOX10’s two-part investigation into the shooting, Fuller took to social media, writing: “This falsehood has to stop. Of course Fox10 has no desire to put forth the truth. He does not own the property. And it is zoned commercial. Nobody is supposed to be residing there, which he clearly is. He is violating the law, period.”

When FOX10 News reached out to Fuller for comment on the social media posts made by both him and the Mayor, he replied with an email expanding on the city’s position. He was unequivocal: “Nobody is supposed to be residing there, which he clearly is. He is violating the law, period.”

Fuller also made a pointed observation about Bowman’s living situation: “It is abundantly clear from the video and the evidence that he is residing there. He has a camper parked inside the building along with most, if not all, of his belongings.”

Fuller also addressed Bowman’s ownership of the property directly: “He does not own the property. And it is zoned commercial.”

Note: Fuller is the Semmes city attorney handling municipal matters. He is not the attorney of record representing the city in the federal civil rights lawsuit.

Bowman’s Attorney

Bowman’s attorney, Bryan Comer, pushed back sharply on Fuller’s statements, saying the city’s focus on zoning and property ownership is an attempt to distract from the constitutional issues at the center of the lawsuit.

In a statement to FOX10 News, Comer wrote:

FOX10 News has confirmed a camper is located outside the business. FOX10 News cannot independently verify Comer’s claim that it was occupied.

The City’s Legal Team

Fuller is not representing the City of Semmes in the federal civil rights lawsuit. Reed Coleman, an attorney with Holtsford Gilliland who is representing the city in the lawsuit, told FOX10 News she had no comment on Fuller’s statements about Bowman.

What the Mayor Said

In a recent interview with FOX10 News, Natalie Williamson asked Mayor Van Hook about Fuller’s comments at the January city council meeting, that Bowman shouldn’t have been sleeping at the business in the first place because it is a business, not a residence, and whether any city codes or rules applied.

Van Hook pushed back on Fuller’s characterization.

“No, I think, well, let me go ahead and talk on that real quick. I don’t think that our attorney meant that he wasn’t supposed to be living there or being there, period,” Van Hook said. “I think what we try to say is it’s a commercial property. And if our front door is left open, like you said, I own a business off Moffett Road. If my front door is open, and like other many business owners, we have what we call proactive patrolling. And that means if our door, if we have businesses, we want an officer to stop by, my door is open and see what’s going on. No officer at 3 o’clock in the morning is going to think that somebody is sleeping in a business with the door wide open. So when he means commercial property, obviously, I mean, when he means he shouldn’t be there, it’s because it is zoned a commercial property and not zoned for residential. So when we’re investigating these things, we’re investigating on what it’s supposed to be or how, you know, what we’re looking out for.”

The Mayor’s Social Media Post

Mayor Van Hook also took to social media following FOX10’s two-part investigation, urging residents to watch his full interview rather than the broadcast version.

“I encourage everyone to watch my full interview with Natalie Williamson and FOX10 News rather than relying solely on the edited version that aired,” Van Hook wrote. “The segment that was broadcast was pieced together from selected portions of a much longer conversation.”

The extended interview is available on FOX10’s Gulf Stream platform.

Background

FOX10 News has covered this story since January 4, 2026, when a shootout between Bowman and Semmes officers left Bowman shot five times inside Bowman’s Auto Air on Moffett Road. Officer Brandon Murphy was grazed by a bullet during the shootout. Police say they were investigating a possible burglary at the business when they encountered Bowman inside a camper.

A Mobile County grand jury cleared all parties involved, finding both the officers and Bowman acted in a legally reasonable manner. Bowman subsequently filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Officers Austin Collier and Murphy, the City of Semmes, and Chief Todd Freind.

On July 10, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sonja F. Bivins signed a protective order keeping officer personnel files confidential during the discovery process.

FOX10 News will continue to follow developments in the federal civil rights lawsuit.