On Tuesday June 4, 2024, Dothan Police Communications Center received a call of a burglary in progress in the 1100 block of South Bell Street.  The person calling reported that the suspect attempted to enter through the front door but was unsuccessful.  It was believed the suspect was in the back yard of the residence.  Officers started responding to the call using emergency lights and sirens.  During the response, an officer was involved in a single-vehicle crash at the intersection of West Main Street and Montana Street.

The crash severely damaged a utility pole, and the police vehicle was totaled.  The officer sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was transported by Pilcher’s Ambulance to an area hospital for treatment.

While the injuries to the officer were serious, we are thankful the injuries were not worse given the severity of the crash.  We are also thankful that no one else was involved.  As a normal procedure after an officer-involved crash, crash investigators responded to the scene and are currently sorting through the available data and video recordings of the event.

Emergency responses are inherently dangerous but necessary during the course of an officer’s tour of duty.  The balance between catching a criminal and injuring an innocent person, or ourselves is something we take very seriously. The investigation into what happened, why it happened and how we can prevent it in the future is underway.

We would like to thank our fire personnel, ambulance personnel and hospital staff, nurses and doctors who treated our officer and to the electrical workers who responded to quickly repair the damage.