A manhunt is underway in Leeds, Alabama after a man driving a reportedly stolen truck bailed out along U.S. 119 across from Callaway's Store and ran into a nearby woodline, according to Leeds Police Chief Paul Irwin. The suspect, described by Irwin as a White male, later turned up in a resident's backyard, where a citizen encountered him, prompting a tense exchange before the man fled back into the trees.
The confrontation escalated when the suspect allegedly threw objects at the citizen, who responded by firing shots into the ground in an attempt to scare him off, as reported by WBMA. The suspect ran back into the woods after the encounter, and law enforcement has since established a perimeter around U.S. 119 and the 7000 block of Mountain View Lane. Neither the suspect's identity nor whether anyone was injured had been made public as the search continued Tuesday.
Multiple Agencies Join the Search
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and Moody Police Department are assisting Leeds police with the search, and Irondale police may join as well, per the same account. Leeds sits across three counties — Jefferson, St. Clair, and Shelby — a geographic quirk that makes multi-agency cooperation with neighboring sheriffs and municipal departments standard practice during widespread searches like this one, according to Kreps Law Firm. Statewide mutual-aid programs support cooperation among law-enforcement agencies.
Authorities are using a helicopter and drones to aid the search, tools that have become a tactical necessity given the terrain. Dense tree cover along rural highway borders in central Alabama routinely limits ground visibility during suspect searches, which is why aerial support is regularly folded into law enforcement perimeters in the region, according to Yellowhammer News.
Chief Irwin's History of Highway Enforcement
Chief Irwin took over the Leeds department after previously serving as police chief in Pell City, following a career as a captain with the Birmingham Police Department and service in the U.S. Marine Corps, according to the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. This is not the first time Irwin has addressed a fleeing-suspect situation tied to a stolen vehicle. In January, Irwin publicly cautioned citizens against interfering with active traffic stops and police arrests following a traffic stop involving a suspect who possessed methamphetamine and a stolen handgun, Yellowhammer News reported. In a separate matter, Irwin responded to reporting about an immigration-related arrest, per 1819 News.
What the Suspect Could Face
If arrested, the suspect faces serious statutory exposure under Alabama law. Theft of any motor vehicle, regardless of its value, constitutes Theft of Property in the First Degree — a Class B felony carrying two to 20 years in state prison and fines up to $30,000, under Alabama Code § 13A-8-3, according to FindLaw. If prosecutors instead determine the man possessed rather than directly stole the vehicle, Alabama Code § 13A-8-16 defines receiving stolen property as intentionally receiving, retaining, or disposing of property known or reasonably believed to be stolen, per Justia.
The backyard confrontation also raises separate legal questions for the citizen who fired shots. Under Alabama Code § 9-11-257, discharging a firearm upon, across, or from any public road or right-of-way is a state misdemeanor, according to a legal discussion on Aldeer.com. Leeds, a municipality of more than 12,000 residents east of Birmingham, sees property crimes and vehicle thefts make up the vast majority of local criminal offenses, according to Kreps Law Firm.
Authorities are encouraging residents in the area to remain alert and follow law-enforcement instructions as the search continues. This remains a developing story, and Hoodline will update as more details become available.
