A man injured during an officer-involved shooting in Mobile remained hospitalized several days after the incident, as police continue an internal review of the officers’ actions.
According to the Mobile Police Department, two officers were responding to an unrelated call on the 600 block of Fisher Street late on a Saturday night when they encountered the man, who authorities say turned toward them while holding a gun in his hand. Officers opened fire, striking him in the arm. He was taken to a hospital, where he remained days later, according to police.
A department spokesman said the two responding officers were not publicly identified and declined to say how long either had served with the department. Consistent with standard department procedure following any officer-involved shooting, both officers were placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
An internal review board was expected to convene within 72 hours of the shooting to examine the evidence gathered and determine whether the officers’ use of force was within department policy. If investigators find no wrongdoing, the officers would be cleared to return to regular duty.
The Fisher Street incident marked at least the third officer-involved shooting for the Mobile Police Department since the start of the year. In April, an internal investigation was opened after an off-duty officer shot her estranged ex-boyfriend during an alleged home invasion attempt. In May, officers opened fire on a man accused of breaking into a stranger’s home and firing at them with a stolen weapon. Police have not said whether either of those earlier cases has been formally resolved.
Officer-involved shootings routinely trigger internal reviews across Alabama law enforcement agencies, a process intended to determine both whether officers followed department policy and whether any additional training or protocol changes may be warranted. Mobile police did not release additional details about the Fisher Street case while the internal investigation remains open.