MOODY, AL - Chief Reece Smith with the Moody Police Department in Alabama told reporters Monday that an officer from nearby Homewood is in recovery after he sustained a gunshot wound to the face after leaving his home for work Sunday morning.
Reporting from The Trussville Tribune revealed that the officer, who was off-duty at the time of the attack, was sitting in his car outside his apartment in the early morning hours of Sunday when he was shot in the face by an unknown assailant. Moody Police responded to the scene at approximately 4:35 a.m. and saw that the Homewood police vehicle assigned to the victim had been struck by gunfire.
The officer was rendered aid by Moody police and EMT and was transported to University of Alabama Birmingham Hospital. His injuries were reportedly not life threatening. According to the outlet, police were able to identify the suspect as Brandon Gaines, 30, a man whose estranged wife lived in the same apartment as the wounded officer.
The chief assessed the incident as related to a domestic dispute and stated that the victim was not targeted for being a police officer.
Court records showed that Gaines was subject to a Protection from Abuse order set to protect women from physical abuse and threats.
AL.com reported that Moody PD became involved in a standoff at townhomes located near Moody Elementary School with Gaines who was armed with a semi-automatic rifle. St. Clair County Coroner Dennis Russell confirmed to reporters that Gaines took his own life after an hours-long standoff at 11:10 a.m.
The Tribune reported that crisis negotiations began in a wooded area where Gaines was separated from officers by a fence. Additional officers moved to flank the suspect behind a hill. “Our goal was to try to talk him into giving up and we talked him closer to us as we got him to throw away guns,” Smith said.
Negotiations proceeded for about five hours before breaking down with Gaines about 20 feet from the negotiating team when he revealed he had another firearm, which he used to end his life.
Reporting from The Trussville Tribune revealed that the officer, who was off-duty at the time of the attack, was sitting in his car outside his apartment in the early morning hours of Sunday when he was shot in the face by an unknown assailant. Moody Police responded to the scene at approximately 4:35 a.m. and saw that the Homewood police vehicle assigned to the victim had been struck by gunfire.
The officer was rendered aid by Moody police and EMT and was transported to University of Alabama Birmingham Hospital. His injuries were reportedly not life threatening. According to the outlet, police were able to identify the suspect as Brandon Gaines, 30, a man whose estranged wife lived in the same apartment as the wounded officer.
The chief assessed the incident as related to a domestic dispute and stated that the victim was not targeted for being a police officer.
Court records showed that Gaines was subject to a Protection from Abuse order set to protect women from physical abuse and threats.
AL.com reported that Moody PD became involved in a standoff at townhomes located near Moody Elementary School with Gaines who was armed with a semi-automatic rifle. St. Clair County Coroner Dennis Russell confirmed to reporters that Gaines took his own life after an hours-long standoff at 11:10 a.m.
The Tribune reported that crisis negotiations began in a wooded area where Gaines was separated from officers by a fence. Additional officers moved to flank the suspect behind a hill. “Our goal was to try to talk him into giving up and we talked him closer to us as we got him to throw away guns,” Smith said.
Negotiations proceeded for about five hours before breaking down with Gaines about 20 feet from the negotiating team when he revealed he had another firearm, which he used to end his life.
“The officers did everything they could to try to end it without, you know, what happened,” the chief told reporters. “They did everything they could and they put everything they had into it so my thoughts are not only with the family of everybody involved but with the officers as well.”
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Comments