ROANOKE, Ala. (WIAT) — In a dramatic incident on Saturday night, a man reportedly opened fire on a police officer in east Alabama.
The Roanoke Police Department reported that an officer conducted a traffic stop around 10:30 p.m. at the junction of Hwy. 22 West and North Main Street. The officer had sufficient reason to request that the driver, 48-year-old Joshua Huddleston, exit the vehicle.
Once Huddleston stepped out, he began behaving erratically, according to police accounts. During a pat-down search, the officer discovered a handgun on Huddleston. After the gun was retrieved, Huddleston allegedly resisted and pulled away from the officer.
At that point, Huddleston is said to have seized a second handgun and fired multiple shots at the officer while attempting to escape. The officer responded by discharging their weapon at Huddleston, police stated.
Authorities later found Huddleston in an abandoned house nearby, suffering from a gunshot wound to his torso. Multiple law enforcement agencies collaborated in the effort to locate Huddleston.
The case was turned over to the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation. Roanoke police provided no additional information on the case.