Driver Fatally Shot by Police After Northport Traffic Stop, Chase

A driver who may have fired on police officers in Northport and led law enforcement on a multi-county chase Thursday night was fatally shot after they crashed in Greene County.

Captain Jack Kennedy, the commander of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, alerted local media of the shooting shortly after 3 a.m. Friday.

He said the trouble began around 11:15 Thursday night, when Northport Police officers pulled over a vehicle in the 4000 block of McFarland Boulevard near the Northport Civic Center and the road's intersection with Highway 43 to the north and Main Avenue to the south.

Get our free mobile app

Kennedy said shots were reported fired, and the vehicle fled the scene.

A chase began that ultimately pulled in multiple police agencies including Northport PD, Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and their State Troopers. and Greene County officials after the driver crossed into that area on Interstate 20/59.

Kennedy said the vehicle crashed near Exit 52 on the interstate, and officers from multiple jurisdictions approached the car. The driver was reportedly armed with a gun, and several police officers opened fire.

Kennedy said the driver was wounded, treated on scene and transported to an area hospital for treatment, but did not survive his injuries.

Kennedy said the Violent Crimes Unit is currently investigating the shooting that happened in Northport, which he called officer-involved. It was not immediately clear if Northport police were fired upon, if they shot at the driver or both before the chase began.

Although the VCU includes investigators who work for the Northport Police Department, Kennedy said none of them will be involved with that investigation.

"This investigation is just beginning, and it will be some time before any other statements or information will be released," Kennedy said.

The deadly shooting that took place in Greene County will be investigated by ALEA's State Bureau of Investigation, not the VCU, and more information on that front will come from state police.

For any updates on this breaking story as they are released, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.