Defense Requests Gag Order Ahead Of Trial In Tuscaloosa Murder Case Of Indiana University Student

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court Judge Allen W. May Jr. is considering a motion for a gag order in the murder case against a California man accused of fatally shooting an Indiana teenager in downtown Tuscaloosa nearly six years ago.

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The murder case stems from the October 2020 shooting death of 19-year-old Schuyler Bradley, an Indiana University student who was visiting Tuscaloosa at the time.

As previously reported by Patch, the defendant, Zachary Profozich, was charged with murder after the early morning altercation near University Boulevard that left Bradley dead.

The order, entered in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court, would prohibit attorneys, law enforcement officials, witnesses and other parties directly connected to the case from making public statements or comments to the media that could influence potential jurors or impact the proceedings.

Violations of Judge May's order, if handed down, could result in contempt of court.

Court records indicate the gag order was requested by defense attorney Mary Turner amid concerns about pretrial publicity and its potential effect on jury selection, particularly as the case approaches trial next month.

Profozich is represented by Turner, Joel Sogol and J. Stephen Salter.

In the exhibits provided with the motion, news coverage by Tuscaloosa Patch and various other outlets was catalogued to underscore the high-profile media attention the case has received.

Jury selection is currently scheduled to begin on Monday, May 11, following the reassignment of the case to Judge May earlier this year after the retirement of longtime Circuit Court Judge Brad Almond.

As Patch previously reported, a civil wrongful death suit that has since been settled in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court provided additional insight into the hours leading up to the shooting.

The civil suit against Profozich and The Bear Trap says that on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020, Profozich was present at the popular college bar between 5:25 p.m. and 8:11 p.m.

There is a half-hour gap in the timeline before Profozich was reportedly seen again in the bar from 8:44 p.m. until 1:13 a.m. the next morning.

The civil suit goes on to allege that Profozich consumed alcohol at The Bear Trap for a total of seven hours and 15 minutes. Attorneys for Bradley's mother argued that The Bear Trap had continued to serve Profozich well after it was visibly apparent that he was intoxicated.

ALSO READ: Mother Still Seeking Justice Four Years After Teen Slain In Tuscaloosa

Profozich is then said to have left The Bear Trap at or around 1:13 a.m., making his way west for roughly half a mile down University Boulevard in the direction of downtown Tuscaloosa.

Profozich was accompanied by another individual who has not been charged and, a little more than 15 minutes later, the two men made contact with Bradley and two of his friends on the sidewalk opposite the University Club.

According to a deposition and charge sheet, an altercation ensued that resulted in Profozich shooting Bradley in the stomach with a .357 revolver around 1:38 a.m.

Investigators later claimed that Profozich and the other man could both be seen in a surveillance video running from the scene after Bradley fell to the ground next to his two friends.

He died a short time later at DCH Regional Medical Center.

The case has since drawn headlines for several reasons, namely for bond being granted for Profozich and the extended timeline for the case to make its way to trial.

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