MOODY, Ala. (AP) — A police officer was fatally shot Tuesday night when responding to a call at a motel in Moody, Alabama.
The officer was identified as Police Sgt. Stephen Williams, 50, who had spent 23 years with the department, news outlets reported. He was shot shortly before 9:30 p.m. and taken by ambulance to a hospital, AL.com reported.
“His loss is a loss for all of Alabama,” Jay E. Town, U.S. attorney for the northern district of Alabama, said in a statement. “This serves as yet another heartbreaking and stark reminder of the perils encountered by law enforcement each day.”
“He was just a good man, a good person, fun to be around,” Moody Police Chief Thomas Hunt told AL.com.
Gov. Kay Ivey issued a statement Wednesday saying the state mourns the loss of a father of three children.
“This senseless violence must end. Every day, brave men and women who wear the badge put their lives on the line in order to keep us safe. We are greatly indebted for his service on our behalf. I ask the people of Alabama to join me in prayer for his family, friends and his brothers in arms,” Ivey said.
News outlets reported there was a possible standoff at the motel with a heavy police presence, and two suspects have been taken into custody.
Video from the scene showed dozens of law enforcement vehicles and a medical helicopter at a Super 8 motel. ABC 33/40 reported that a camera at a nearby business captured audio of what sounded like a barrage of gunfire.
Moody is a city in St. Clair County about 22 miles (35 kilometers) east of Birmingham.
Amar Fouda told al.com he heard a lot of noise from the room next to his. “I heard like an AK-47,’’ he said. Fouda said he ran into the bathroom and hid in the tub.