New York Daily News |
Nov 24, 2019 | 3:02 PM
The scene of Saturday night's fatal shooting of Lowndes County Sheriff "Big John" Williams. (Kirsten Fiscus/AP)
An 18-year-old suspect is in custody after a beloved Alabama sheriff was killed in the line of duty at a gas station on Saturday night.
Lowndes County Sheriff “Big John” Williams, as he was known, was fatally shot at a QV station in Hayneville, according to authorities. Gunman William Chase Johnson was captured at the same location following a manhunt that lasted a few hours.
“Details as to how he fled the scene and then reappeared at the scene, all that’s going to be investigated,” State trooper Sgt. Steve Jarrett told TV station WSFA.
Gov. Kay Ivey paid tribute to “Big John,” writing on Twitter that the slain sheriff “will be remembered as a consummate professional and pillar of his community.”
Authorities at the scene of the shooting. (Kirsten Fiscus/AP)
"I offer my prayers and deepest sympathies to his family and to the men and women of the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department," Ivey said.
Williams is the fifth law enforcement officer to die from gunfire in the line of duty in the state this year.
The suspect, with the dark and white backwards ball cap, center rear, accused of shooting Lowndes County Sheriff John Williams is surrounded by law enforcement as he walks back to the scene with a firearm, early Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019, in Hayneville, Ala. The suspect was identified as 18-year-old William Chase Johnson. (Kirsten Fiscus/AP)
“It’s always hard to see a fellow law enforcement officer lose his life, especially in this manner, just something so silly,” Jarrett told WKYT. “But ‘Big John’ Williams was known by people all through the state and probably neighboring states. He was just a great guy. He worked 24/7, he was always willing to help. The citizens here loved him. It just couldn’t have happened to a nicer person or better law enforcement officer.”
U.S. Sen. Doug Jones and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall also praised the fallen sheriff and offered their support to the community.
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