Official: 2 deputies wounded in shooting, manhunt underway

June 30, 2022 GMT

CENTREVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Law enforcement agencies were conducting a manhunt Wednesday evening after two deputies were shot and wounded, one of them critically, while chasing a suspect in Alabama, authorities said.

District Attorney Michael Jackson said the shooting happened in Bibb County as two deputies were chasing a suspect in a stolen vehicle. The man fired at the deputies, shooting both, he said. One of the deputies was critically wounded.

Jackson said the suspect has been identified as Austin Hall, 26. Hall should be considered armed and dangerous, he added. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency issued a Blue Alert, asking people to notify authorities if they see Hall.

Jackson said multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in the hunt for the suspect. Local television news outlets showed a heavy police presence in the county, located in central Alabama.

The city of Centreville posted a notice on social media asking people to be on alert for the suspect but for residents to lock their doors and stay inside. “Officers have converged on the area and the suspect is reported to have abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot,” the post said.