Shooting subject dies
Published 12:03 am Thursday, July 23, 2015
The subject involved in the officer-involved shooting last week has died, law enforcement officials said Wednesday.
Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Spokesperson Kevin Cook said Pierre Gabriel Koellner, 29, of Opp, died Monday evening at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Fla.
Koellner was involved in a shooting that happened at 2:30 p.m., last Thursday.
According to Opp Police Chief Mike McDonald, Opp Police Department Patrol officers assisted ALEA and the Covington County Sheriff’s Department with a two-vehicle crash on Hwy. 84 West between Babbie and Sanford.
“Upon arrival at the crash scene, witnesses advised the that the vehicle operator of one of the involved vehicles left the scene fleeing on foot and was running westbound,” McDonald said. “Opp officers made contact with this male adult on the eastbound side of the four-lane, just east of Leon Wiggins Road. The individual refused to remove his hands from his pants pocket and when he did, he produced a handgun and refused to comply with the officer’s orders to put the gun down. The individual pointed the gun at the officers and fired at the officers and then charged at the officers.”
McDonald said officers returned fire striking the individual.
Koellner was airlifted from the scene to the hospital.
The two officers involved were not injured.
OPD requested a SBI investigation.
Cook said the SBI would withhold the names of the officers involved until the investigation is over. Once SBI competes the investigation, it will forward its findings to District Attorney Walt Merrell.