Ala. Police Officer Wounded in Fatal Shootout Sues Accused Gunman
By William Thornton
Source al.com
A Sheffield police officer who took fire during Friday’s shootout in Muscle Shoals which killed another officer is suing the man police say fired the shots.
Lt. Max Dotson has filed a lawsuit seeking $375,000 in damages from Brian Lansing Martin. The two-page lawsuit was filed this afternoon in Colbert County Circuit Court.
The suit states “as a proximate cause of the reckless and intentional acts” of Martin, Dotson has suffered physical harm, mental anguish and emotional distress.
According to the suit, Dotson was shot twice in the upper left chest in the area of his heart with a .45 caliber handgun. Dotson was protected by his bulletproof vest, police said Friday.
Nick Risner, 40, an eight-year veteran of the Sheffield Police Department, was also shot during the encounter and died Saturday of his wounds.
Authorities say Muscle Shoals police responded last Friday to what was believed to be a hit-and-run on Avalon Avenue around 2 p.m. It turned out, police said later, that William Mealback Jr., had been shot and then dumped from his own car.
The suspect in both killings, whom police have identified as Martin, drove away and hit another vehicle at a nearby busy intersection. Using information from a witness at the scene, police issued an alert for the vehicle, which was spotted in nearby Sheffield. Police say Martin led them on a chase, eventually returning to Muscle Shoals and driving behind the old South Gate Mall.
Officers stopped Martin, who they say fired shots at officers. Police officials said multiple officers returned fire and wounded Martin.
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