Birmingham police rule Coosa Street homicide as ‘justified death’

UPDATE (1:31 p.m., 1/16) — Following an investigation, a homicide that occurred on Coosa Street Jan. 13 has been reclassified as a “justified death.”

“BPD Homicide Investigators presented the information gathered on the case to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s office for review,” a statement from BPD read. “Following the assessment of the information, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s office ruled the actions of the subject involved were justified as defense.”

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — A shooting in the early morning hours Monday left one man dead.

At 2:03 a.m., officers from the Birmingham Police Department’s South Precinct were called to the 900 block of Coosa Street regarding a man who had been shot. Upon arrival, officers found David Franklin Lee, 37, unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound.

Lee was pronounced dead at the scene.

“The preliminary investigation reveals that the victim was involved in a verbal altercation when he was shot by an unknown suspect,” a release from the BPD stated.

There are currently no suspects at this time.