Mother of Man Killed Near Tuscaloosa Strip Sues Shooter and Bar
The mother of a young man who was fatally shot near the Tuscaloosa Strip almost two years ago has filed a four-count lawsuit against the man who pulled the trigger and the bar that served him drinks that night.
The killing at the center of the suit took place in October 2020, when 22-year-old Zachary Profozich fatally shot 19-year-old Schuyler Bradley.
Bradley, a student at Indiana University who was visiting Tuscaloosa, was involved in a brief argument with Profozich on the sidewalk near Audubon Manor Apartments on University Boulevard when Profozich pulled out a revolver and shot him once in the chest.
Bradley was rushed to an area hospital but died roughly a day after he was shot.
Profozich, who had been arrested in the wake of the shooting, was charged with murder.
Profozich told multiple people after the shooting that he thought Bradley was reaching for a gun of his own when he drew and shot -- police have declined to say whether Bradley was armed at the time.
Now, almost two years after the killing, Bradley's mother Daphne Groff has sued Profovich and the Bear Trap, the bar on the Strip where Profovich was reportedly drinking that night.
The shooting took place at 1:38 a.m. on October 16, and Groff says in the lawsuit that Profozich was drinking at the Bear Trap for more than 7 hours before he shot Bradley less than 30 minutes after leaving the bar.
She also alleges that Profozich was visibly intoxicated but was still served drinks until he left the bar around 1:13 a.m.
The first count of the lawsuit says the Bear Trap is liable under Dram Shop laws for Bradley's wrongful death.
The other three counts accuse Profozich of negligence, wantonness and assault and battery,
The lawsuit was filed in Tuscaloosa County Thursday and will be heard by Tuscaloosa Judge James H. Roberts.
On the criminal side, Profozich pleaded not guilty to the murder charge against him last year. The case is still awaiting trial.
Stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread for updates on the lawsuit and the criminal case as they become available.