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Hartselle Enquirer

Priceville police officer involved in shooting death

Lauren Estes- Velez

Hartselle Enquirer

The 16-year-old fatally shot by a Priceville police officer last week in Huntsville allegedly backed the stolen car he was driving into the officer, who was trying to make the arrest, new information shows.

The unidentified officer was pinned between the patrol car and the stolen car, according to a release from acting police chief Rick Williams.

The name of the teen has still not been released.

Williams said he is unsure when the officer or the suspect’s name will be released, that the investigation is on going.

“I will say that our police vehicles have been equipped with video cameras for over 20 years and our officers have been equipped with body cameras for the last 3-5 years,” Williams said. “The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation is handling the investigation.”

The shooting occurred Fri., July 7 on Bob Wallace Avenue near Interstate 565 in Huntsville after a chase that began in Morgan County.

According to the press release, the Mustang driven by the suspect, struck another car and then stopped on the Interstate. The Priceville officer stopped his patrol car behind the stolen vehicle and got out to arrest the suspect, according to the release.
Then, the suspect suddenly backed the stolen car into the driver’s side door of the patrol car, police said.

“The officer was crushed between the door and the body of the vehicle, putting his life in immediate danger. Our officer responded appropriately to this threat to save his life with the use of deadly force,” the statement reads.

The unnamed Priceville officer has been put on paid administrative leave, Williams said. The officer was treated for his injuries and has been released from the hospital, he said.

“This has been an extremely difficult week for all of us in Priceville,” Williams said in the press release. “Law enforcement is not an easy profession. We are taught to be prepared and are continuously trained for the worst case scenarios; however, we dread the day when that training has to be put into action.”

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