(Photo : Getty Images/Elijah Nouvelage)
Four officers were shot in Birmingham, Alabama while trying to execute a search warrant. The unidentified suspect was killed when the police officers returned fire.
Four officers suffered gunshot wounds in Birmingham, Alabama. One suspect was reported dead during an attempted search by the police.
According to the police, the shooting transpired at an apartment building in Southside's 1000 block of 18th Street South. A Birmingham police spokesperson stated the shooting happened as officers searched for a suspect in a previous gunning incident on Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard that recorded two fatalities. Sgt. Rod Mauldin remarked a tactical team was making efforts to initiate a search warrant at an apartment when officers were immediately shot.
Alabama Shooting of Police Officers
The four officers are all members of the department's tactical team. They are all expected to recover. Two policemen were shot, and two policemen were grazed, said Sgt. Rod Mauldin. The identity of the slain suspect was not divulged, only to be described as a white male.
The injuries of the victims are non-life-threatening. The suspect was gunned and killed at the scene of the shooting.
According to Sgt. Rod Mauldin, someone called the Birmingham Police Department at 6:30 AM on Sunday. About two individuals had been gunned in Brother Bryan Park on Magnolia Avenue South. Upon arrival, initial responders discovered a male and female who had been shot. The woman was declared dead upon arriving at the hospital while the man was pronounced dead at the location of the incident, reported CBS 42.
Mauldin stated an investigation is underway. It will be transferred to the Alabama Bureau of Investigations. Meanwhile, according to Birmingham City Councilor Hunter Williams in a statement, "I am extremely grateful the officers will survive their injuries and hope the community will continue to support them," reported ABC 30.
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A few moments before the shooting, there was reportedly an argument over a dog. One witness told the police that the pair usually bring a dog. Police were still searching for the dog on Sunday.
According to Council President William Parker, "We are calling on all of our residents to take a stand against these hostile acts. This senseless violence must stop. We are continuing to monitor this situation closely, and we are wishing all of the officers involved a speedy recovery," reported ABC 33 40.
Investigators have declared the suspect and the woman victim were in a dating relationship. The suspect escaped the scene before the officer's arrival.
Officers stated they later got a lead on the male suspect in the 1000 block of 18th Street South. Tactical officers responded and initiated a search warrant.
Public Safety Chairman Hunter Williams also released a statement. He remarked the events that transpired exemplify the risks that the officers of the Birmingham Police Department face every day. He added there is a need to rally around their department and officers who are risking their lives in what is often a thankless job to protect Birmingham's citizens.
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