Police: Decatur officer fired shot at man he believed had gun
DECATUR, AL (WAFF) - Decatur officers are investigating after a police officer fired a shot at a man he believed had a gun Sunday at an apartment complex.
Police say at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Decatur police went to 2801 Sandlin Rd. SW in reference to information they received that a man with ten arrest warrants, Maury Deshaun Randolph, was in an apartment there.
They say when the officers arrived at the apartment complex, they saw a white Cadillac Deville driving through the parking lot. The officers knew from prior contacts that Randolph frequently drove a vehicle matching that description. One of the officers stopped the vehicle, and the driver was a female. Randolph was not in the vehicle. However, the officer did observe an empty gun case in the car and told the other officers to use caution.
The officers went to apartment #204 and knocked, but there was no response. Two people were grilling in front of the apartment building. The officers identified one of them as Randolph's brother, police say.
The brother told the officers that their mother lived in #204 but there was no one in the apartment at that time. He told the officers that he did not have a key to the apartment, and only his mother did.
While the officers were speaking with those individuals, two other officers were watching the apartment. Those officers saw a person matching Randolph's description looking out one of the windows. The officers did not know Randolph on sight, but another officer pulled up a photo of Randolph on his MDT and they confirmed that Randolph was the individual they saw looking out the window.
Police say after repeated attempts to get Randolph to open the apartment door and surrender, the decision was made to force entry into the apartment, according to police. One officer breached the door and other officers entered the apartment. Officer Frank Linam, the first officer to enter the apartment, reported that he yelled "police department" to identify the officers and that as the officers moved into the apartment, Randolph ran out of a back bedroom, toward the officers.
The bedroom and hallway were dark, and according to Linam, Randolph had his arms extended in front of him, making it look like he was holding something in his hands instead of at his sides like he would if he was running. From the way Randolph was holding his arms, Linam said he believed Randolph had a gun in his hands.
Authorities said Linam fired one shot at Randolph that missed him. Randolph surrendered and was taken into custody without further incident. No weapon was recovered at the scene. The bullet Linam fired went through the wall of the apartment and into an adjacent apartment. The adjacent apartment was occupied at the time of the shooting, but no one was injured.
Linam remains on administrative duties at this time.
The department is currently conducting an investigation to determine if Linam's actions were consistent with state law, department policy, and his training.
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