A Baldwin County grand jury has indicted a 60-year-old man formerly of Spanish Fort on a string of felony charges stemming from a gunfire-and-fire incident at an Eastern Shore Boulevard apartment complex that led to a roughly eight-hour standoff with law enforcement.
The man faces charges including first-degree arson, three counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied building, second-degree domestic violence, reckless endangerment and resisting arrest, according to the indictment. He is scheduled to be arraigned later this spring.
According to Spanish Fort authorities, the incident began after an argument inside the man’s apartment escalated. His wife left the unit and called 911 as the dispute intensified. Investigators say the man then fired a shot into the ceiling of the apartment before officers arrived on scene.
When police responded to the complex, they came under gunfire themselves, though no officers were struck, according to authorities. Several rounds fired during the incident struck neighboring apartment units, raising serious safety concerns for other residents of the complex during the hours-long standoff.
Authorities say the man is also accused of attempting to set fire to the apartment complex while barricaded inside during the standoff. The building’s sprinkler system activated and extinguished the flames before they could spread further, according to police accounts of the incident.
The standoff stretched on for hours as negotiators and tactical officers worked to safely resolve the situation without further injury. Officers ultimately used tear gas and a flash grenade to end the standoff and take the man into custody.
No injuries were reported among residents, officers or the man himself despite the exchange of gunfire and the attempted fire, according to authorities. The complex, located along Eastern Shore Boulevard in Spanish Fort, houses numerous families, and the lengthy standoff prompted a significant law enforcement response in the area.
The case now moves forward through the Baldwin County court system following the grand jury’s decision to indict. Prosecutors will lay out the full timeline of the incident as the case proceeds toward arraignment and eventual trial.
Baldwin County authorities say incidents involving barricaded suspects and gunfire remain rare in the Spanish Fort area, and the case highlights the risks first responders can face even in typically quiet residential communities along the Eastern Shore.