October 12, 2017 - 12:48 PM
HOMEWOOD, Ala. - Police tried to question three people in the parking lot of an appliance store early Thursday and wound up in a shootout that left one man dead and an officer wounded near Alabama's main city of Birmingham, authorities said.
Two officers saw two vehicles parked outside the store about 1:30 a.m., Homewood police Sgt. John Carr said. One of the vehicles had its trunk open and two men and a woman were nearby. One of the men began running and opened fire on the officers, police said. Both officers returned fire, fatally wounding the man, according to authorities. One of the officers was shot in the leg and is expected to recover.
The dead person was described as a black man, but authorities did not immediately release his name. They didn't release any information about the officers involved. The shooting came as police in Homewood have been trying to stem an increase in the number of break-ins in that city, located just south of Birmingham.
"We had a rise in vehicle burglaries in recent months, so we had extra patrols and were out patrolling the area and he just rolled up on it," said Lt. Keith Peterson.
The other two people spotted in the parking lot were taken into custody, police said.
There was no immediate word on any charges.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017