Suspect stable, investigation ongoing
Published 12:00 am Thursday, March 21, 2013
The suspect in Tuesday’s pursuit and officer-related shooting in Opp remains hospitalized.
Courtney Keon Jones, 32, of Birmingham, was shot by an un-named Opp police officer during a chase that began in Brantley.
An Alabama State Trooper attempted to stop Jones, who was driving a stolen Toyota Camry from a Birmingham dealership, for speeding, and the chase spilled over into the OPD’s jurisdiction. Spike strips were used to successfully end the chase, and it was determined that an Opp officer fired a shotgun upon the vehicle’s tire, striking Jones in the process, said Trooper Kevin Cook.
Jones was air lifted to Baptist South Medical Center in Montgomery, where he remained Wednesday.
“Because of the HIPPA law, hospitals will not give (ABI) any information other than (Jones) is in stable condition,” Cook said. “I can tell you is his condition was not life threatening.”
Jones, who is charged with first-degree possession of stolen property and attempting to elude, will be taken into custody once released from the hospital.
ABI, the investigative division of the Alabama Department of Public Safety, is conducting an investigation into the officer-involved shooting at the request of Opp Police Chief Mike McDonald. Those findings will then be turned over to the Covington County district attorney for review, Cook said.