A veteran Alabama police officer was killed and another critically wounded Tuesday when they responded to a “shots fired” call in Huntville.
The Huntsville Police Department said that Officers Garrett Crumby, 36, and Albert Morin, 34, responded to the call shortly before 5 p.m. and found a woman who had been shot.
Crumby and Morin were both shot by a suspect on the scene and were taken to Huntsville Hospital with life-threatening injuries. Crumby was later pronounced dead, Attorney General Steve Marshall said, according to WHNT.
Huntsville Police Chief Kirk Giles said that Morin underwent emergency surgery and is still in critical condition but expected to survive. The woman who was shot was also at the hospital receiving treatment for injuries that were not life-threatening.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency has charged Juan Robert Laws, 24, with capital murder of a law enforcement officer.
“This is a devastating loss for our department, the Huntsville community and the State of Alabama,” Giles said. “We send our heartfelt condolences to the officer’s family as they mourn their loved one who made the ultimate sacrifice. As we grieve with our fallen officer’s family, we have another officer fighting for his life. Please keep all our officers and the entire department in your prayers.”
Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle echoed Giles’ comment, saying it was “a painful night for the City of Huntsville and for our police family.”
“We are heartbroken,” he said. “Words cannot express our loss. We have been overwhelmed by the show of love and support from our community, and we stand united with our police officers and their families in this tragic moment.”
Crumby was a native Alabamian and a former Tuscaloosa police officer, AL.com reported. He joined the Huntsville department in 2020 after seven years in Tuscaloosa.
Morin, a native New Yorker, joined the Huntsville department in 2017 after a stint in the military and some time in Florida.
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[Featured image: Garrett Crumby, left, and Albert Morin/Huntsville Police Department]
