Neighbors ‘sleep peacefully’ now that Scottsboro man charged with attempted murder is behind bars

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (WAFF) - Daniel McCarn is in the Jackson County jail right now, charged with attempted murder.

Sunday afternoon, police sent us this video of the moment McCarn was captured.

It’s from a high-tech drone using thermal cameras.

In that video, you can see him hiding by train tracks near Old Larkinsville Road as police with their guns drawn move in and surround him.

Residents who live inside the perimeter police set during their 20-hour manhunt on Saturday said they stayed inside all day on police orders.

Cynthia Smith said police told her to lock her doors at 5:00 a.m. on Saturday, and she didn’t unlock them until Sunday morning.

“There were officers walking the street and it kind of startled me at first, but I felt safe because I knew that their presence here meant that we were ok,” Smith said.

Smith has lived in Scottsboro for almost 40 years. Her husband was the former police chief here, Kevin Smith. She said that all the years he worked for the police department, nothing like this had ever happened before.

Investigators said the encounter with Daniel McCarn started with a domestic call around 1 a.m. on Ruth Street.

Police said McCarn ran from the scene, sparking a brief chase.

When he crashed his car a few blocks away, investigators said he started firing shots, hitting one Scottsboro officer.

The next time police saw McCarn was just before 10 p.m., when thermal imaging cameras on a drone spotted him near some railroad tracks. He was quickly surrounded and surrendered

One resident sat and watched police drive by with McCarn.

Beau Rogers took a video of multiple police cars driving by his house with McCarn in the back seat of one.

In the video, an officer said, “Our guy’s in custody, so y’all good around here.”

The officer who was shot is expected to be okay but police are withholding his name for now.

Smith said her husband hired that officer years ago. As the wife of a retired police officer, Smith said she knows what it’s like to worry when they go to work.

“I know the wives and mothers and family members of all of these officers were concerned for their safety, and I know they were thankful when they got home safe last night,” Smith said.

Smith adds that she slept peacefully, knowing McCarn was in custody and that all the officers searching were safe as well.

WAFF 48 is monitoring Jackson County court records to find out when Daniel McCarn will make his first appearance before a judge.

We expect it to be in a couple days.

At last check, he has not been given any bond.

We also could not find any criminal history for McCarn in Alabama’s records, except for two minor traffic violations from several years ago.

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