Man charged in Birmingham detective's beating; outrage follows support of ... - AL.com
A Center Point man with a violent past is now charged with attempted murder in the pistol-whipping of a Birmingham police detective during a traffic stop Friday morning. Police today identified the suspect as 34-year-old Janard Shamar Cunningham, also known as Janaris Shavar Cunningham. Cunningham is charged in the beating of a detective who is a six-year veteran of the force. Authorities said Cunningham stole the detective's gun and then repeatedly hit him in the head until the detective stopped moving. Police have not publicly released the name of the detective, but said he was released from UAB Hospital Friday evening without being held overnight. It all began just after 11 a. m. Friday when the detective, in plain clothes and an unmarked car, stopped a maroon 2012 GMC Yukon in the 9100 block of Parkway East in the Roebuck Plaza, possibly in connection with some burglaries in the area. Cunningham got out of the vehicle despite the officer's demands, and began to question the detective about why he was being stopped. The detective issued a plea for all available help over the police radio at 11:15 a. m. The detective was rushed to UAB Hospital, with police blocking off downtown intersections to make way for the detective's arrival via ambulance. Source: www.al.com
