(DailyDig.com) – Chief Wesley Richerson of the Montgomery Police Department reported that Judge Johnny Hardwick, of the circuit court of Montgomery County in Alabama, was assaulted and shot on February 24 by his son, Khalfani Ahmed Hardwick.
The police arrived at the judge’s residence around 1 p.m. The 36-year-old son fled after the incident, and deputies found his abandoned vehicle. He was soon located and is now in custody in the Montgomery County Detention Unit, authorities said.
Authorities charged Khalfani Hardwick with domestic violence in the first degree, a charge without bail. He also faces a felony charge of being in possession of a firearm after being previously forbidden to have one, with a $15,000 bail, according to jail records in Montgomery County.
The shooting incident and any preceding events that led to the assault and shooting remain unknown but under investigation, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
Sheriff Derrick Cunningham from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office asked for prayers for the judge as he remains hospitalized after undergoing surgery, according to news reports.
Khalfani Hardwick was involved in a shooting incident in 2017, per news media reports. In 2014, he faced an attempted murder charge for shooting Clayton Riley in the head. He received no prison time after pleading guilty to a lesser charge of assault in the second degree. Jail records indicate that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Judge Hardwick served as a judge in city, state, and federal positions prior to his appointment in 2001 as a 15th Judicial Circuit Court judge in Montgomery County. According to news reports, he is also currently serving as the president of Alabama’s Association of Circuit Court Judges.
Chairman Doug Singleton of the Montgomery County Commission made a statement that his prayers and thoughts are with the judge during his recovery and difficult time with his son. He also thanked the County Sheriff’s Department for their rapid response to the incident.
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