Man dies, investigation continues into case
A suspect fleeing the East Brewton police died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head as officers were setting up a permitter to apprehend the suspect.
East Brewton Police Chief Kenny Brazille said the incident began about 3 p.m. Sunday when an officer spotted a vehicle and recognized the driver as some he knew had a suspended driver's license. The officer initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle that pulled into the Piggly Wiggly parking lot.
He said the officer called for backup and another officer arrived. The driver and the passenger exited and were standing next the vehicle.
Brazille said when the officer returned to his patrol car to check the information on the driver, the other officer noticed the passenger acting suspicious and then reach into a bag in the back seat. Brazille said the passenger then produced a gun and started running toward the rear of the grocery store.
“We called Brewton for backup and began setting up a permitter,” Brazille said.
Brazille said the suspect ran into a wooded area and officers heard a gunshot coming from the woods.
He said officers then discovered the suspect suffering from a single gunshot wound to the head. The man was transported to D.W. McMillan Memorial Hospital in Brewton and pronounced dead.
Brazille would not release the name of the person who died until the investigation was complete. He did note the body was sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy.
