A 41-year-old man has been identified as the suspect killed in a police chase and shooting in St. Clair County.
Coroner Dennis Russell on Sunday identified the man as Gerald Wayne Marlin Jr. He lived in Lake View.
It was not immediately clear why Marlin was being pursued. Court records show he received several traffic violations, including two DUIs, but the records do not reflect any type of arrests for violent crimes.
The chase began around 6:11 p.m. Saturday on Highway 231 near Ashville when Alabama state soldiers started the chase with Marlin’s van. Law enforcement officers from several agencies joined the chase along 231 through Pell City, then 174 to Odenville.
The chase lasted approximately 20 minutes, stopping at the intersection of Highway 174 and Highway 411 near Piggly Wiggly and Charlie’s BBQ. Agencies involved included the Sheriff’s Office and Odenville Police, Margaret and Argo. Officers deployed two different sets of spike bands before the pursuit was over.
No police were injured, but the suspect died. According to the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect fired his gun and officers responded.
At least several passers-by captured the entire ordeal on cellphone video. The footage shows the suspect slowly coming to a stop just before the intersection. The officers get out of their vehicles with the guns and approach the van. They stand a few yards away, with at least one or two officers looking out the truck window.
Officers can be heard yelling at the driver. About 36 seconds after the stop, a barrage of gunfire rang out. The suspect was dead inside his vehicle.
The State Bureau of Investigation at the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is leading the investigation. The agency has yet to release a statement on the investigation.
