About 7:45 p.m., Edward Nicholas Bittner was a passenger in a vehicle that an officer had pulled over on U.S. 90 for having a missing headlight and changing lanes without signaling. After the car stopped, Bittner got out and ran toward the on-ramp to the eastbound lanes of Interstate 10. At some point, Bittner came back toward the car, and the officer shot and killed him. Bittner allegedly had a knife with a 4-inch blade, but it was not reported whether it was in his hand or his pocket.
Agency: Mobile Police Department
Motive: Traffic violation
Confrontation Type: Traffic Stop
Service Call: No
Body Camera: yes
Official Disposition: Pending investigation
Victim Name: Edward Bittner
Death Date: January 26, 2021
County: Mobile
Geography: Urban
Gender: Male
Age: 37
Race: White
Cause of Death: Gunshot, Taser
Criminal Charges: No known charges
Mental Illness: No
Armed: Allegedly Armed
Weapon: knife
Threat Level: other
Fleeing: foot
Washington Post Database ID: 6549