Alabama Policeman, Shot and Killed; Police Deaths Reach Highest In Three Decades

A Hunstville policeman was shot and killed in action during drug delivery interception, making his death the sixth police death of the year.

Billy Fred Clardy III, a Hunstville, Alabama police officer was fataly shot when a suspect opened fire when he and other officers intercepted a drug delivery.

According to US News, Clardy’s death was the sixth gunshot-related police casualty in the state where five out of six of these deaths were caused by stolen weapons.

Earlier on November, Lowndes County Sheriff, John “Big John” Williams was responding to a noise complaint when he was shot and killed at a gas station convenience store.

The suspect to Williams’ case was the teenage son of the neighboring county’s deputy.

The four other Alabama officers who were shot and killed this year include Sgt. Wytasha Carter of Birmingham police, mobile police officer Sean Tuder, Auburn police officer William Buechner, and Tuscaloosa police officer Dornell Cousette.

“None of the guns were in the hands of people who should have had them and that’s what gun owners want to prevent,” David Hyche, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives special agent said in a press conference, as was reported by 6 WBRC.

“I’m a gun owner too; don’t let your guns become crime guns.”
This incident marked 2019 as the year having the highest number of law enforcement officer deaths in more than 30 years according to state statistics.

Reportedly, 128 officers have been killed in the line of duty nationally in the first weeks of 2019, including car crashes and other deaths as reported by the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund.

Texas, New York and California are the only states that have recorded more deaths than Alabama.

Aside from the shootings, another Alabama officer, Monroe County Deputy Sheriff Jay Dailey was killed in a car crash while responding to a burglary, making him the seventh law enforcement officer in the state to be killed on duty.