MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. — A vehicle pursuit that began in Prichard ended with an exchange of gunfire that left a 40-year-old suspect wounded, according to the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff’s officials identified the suspect as Cecil Frederick James. Mobile Fire-Rescue said he was shot six times during the confrontation, and the sheriff’s office confirmed his injuries were not life-threatening.
How the chase unfolded
Captain Paul Burch of the sheriff’s office said a Prichard police officer tried to stop James’s car when the driver began firing at the officer from his vehicle. The officer returned fire as the pursuit continued until it ended at Wolf Ridge Road and Marchal Lane in unincorporated Mobile County.
Burch could not confirm why the officer initially attempted the stop, though he noted the car carried an expired tag dating back to 2003. No officers were hurt in the shootout.
The FBI and Mobile police assisted with the investigation. Burch explained that FBI agents on scene were supporting Prichard police through VGRIP, an ongoing county operation in which federal agencies help patrol high-crime areas; the FBI did not join the pursuit until after it was underway.
Jail records show James had an extensive history with the county jail, including multiple domestic violence charges.