Officer involved shooting at Decatur pharmacy
Oct. 4—About a dozen police units responded to a shots fired call at Westmeade Pharmacy on Danville Road around 1 p.m. today.
Decatur police originally responded to a 911 call that a fraudulent prescription suspect was on the scene, but officers responded again just before 1 p.m. when they received another call that the suspect was inside the store, according to Morgan County 911 dispatch.
The suspect was rushed to the hospital for a single gunshot wound, police said. No officers were injured in what Decatur police called an "officer involved shooting."
The suspect is still in the hospital, and conditions are unknown. No arrests have been made yet.
At least one officer will be placed on administrative leave in accordance with department policy, according to Decatur Police Department Spokeswoman Irene Cardenas-Martinez.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is taking over the investigation.
"I came out front to get a recipe and there were all kinds of cop cars, and then undercover cars started showing up," said Donna Legere at Joe's Deli and Connie's Casseroles. "A man came out on a stretcher and was rushed out.
"We locked our back door."
They were not the only ones.
"We locked the doors for a little while, just in case," said Rhonda Godwin at Pay Less Pharmacy Express.
One Dollar General employee said officers came in asking for camera footage.
Austin Junior High School was placed on secure perimeter status for about 13 minutes as the result of the incident.
Decatur schools Deputy Superintendent Dwight Satterfield said he had received reports of police activity at Danville Road Southwest and Carridale Street Southwest at 12:58 p.m. and was advised by Decatur police to lift the secure perimeter at 1:11 p.m.
"We had other schools ready to go to secure perimeter as needed, but by the time we got everyone notified, we were given the OK to clear," Satterfield said.
— emma.daniel@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2437. Twitter @DD_EDaniel
