March 22, 2023 A man barricaded in a bathroom suddenly opened fire on two Shelby County sheriff’s deputies as they were trying to convince him to come out during a welfare check at a Meadowbrook home.
By Carol Robinson Source al.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Two Shelby County sheriff’s deputies are expected to recover after they were shot Wednesday morning during a welfare check at a Meadowbrook home.
Deputies were dispatched about 9:30 a.m. to the house in the 3100 block of Bradford Place after the homeowners called authorities asking them to check on the residence because they were out of town and concerned that their adult son might have broken in.
When deputies arrived, said Sheriff John Samaniego, they found the back door had been breached. With permission of the homeowners, deputies entered the house.
As they searched the house, deputies made contact with an adult male in an upstairs bathroom.
“They were conversing with them, trying to get them to come out,’’ Samaniego said. “At that point, without warning, they fired on deputies, hitting two deputies.”
One deputy returned fire, but the suspect was not injured.
The sheriff the two wounded deputies were then moved to safety. Paramedics arrived and rushed them to UAB Hospital in Birmingham via police escort.
Other deputies maintained their positions inside the home and negotiated with the suspect. Eventually he put down the gun and surrendered.
Though seriously injured, both deputies are expected to recover. One of the deputies was set to undergo surgery today.
“Fortunately, the immediate prognosis is both of them are going to be fine,’’ the sheriff said. “We can only hope and pray for that.”
“This is the CEO of a law enforcement agency’s worst nightmare,’’ Samaniego said.
The incident remains under investigation by the Shelby County Major Crimes Task Force and District Attorney Matt Casey.
“We will wait for a full and thorough investigation to take place,’’ Casey said.