BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
PRATTVILLE: A short vehicle pursuit involving the Prattville Police and a man they were seeking ended earlier this evening after the suspect vehicle crashed just after 4 p.m. today. A standoff then ensued as officers surrounded the area and blocked traffic, according to Prattville Police Chief Mark Thompson.
The as yet unidentified subject is now in custody awaiting a mental health evaluation, after allegedly threatening to harm himself and others, Thompson said.
Full details are not yet available, as the scene was only cleared around 5:45 p.m. Officers had blocked traffic in the area around the crash as they tried to talk the man into surrendering.
Officers throughout the River Region area received a BOLO (Be On Look Out) earlier today regarding threats the man had allegedly made in Elmore County. This afternoon, a Prattville officer came in contact with a Mustang vehicle mentioned in the BOLO and attempted to stop the vehicle on Hwy. 14 in Prattville.
The driver fled from the pursuing unit, but crashed on Hwy. 14 not far from the intersection of County Road 4.
Chief Thompson said the man initially got out of the vehicle with a weapon, but then got back inside the vehicle refusing to come out. At some point a shot was fired from within the suspect’s vehicle, but there were no injuries.
A negotiation team was brought in to talk to the man, and he eventually was taken into custody without any injuries related to the shooting.
He has been transported to a local hospital, and pending the mental evaluation, could face criminal charges related to the incident. He also has active warrants out of Elmore County.
The scene is now clear, and normal traffic in the area has resumed. Thompson said there is no further danger to the public at this point. Thompson said he may have more information as early as tomorrow on the incident.
