Late Wednesday night, Sheriff’s Investigators were working in the Oakman area and observed a truck matching the description of a stolen vehicle.  The suspect fled, and abandoned the truck and ran on foot into woods.

A suspect was developed by reviewing surveillance footage and witnesses. Charges are expected to be filed on the suspect. The investigation continues.

School Resource Deputy Amy Garrison kicked off the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program this past week at Carbon Hill Schools. Over 300 students graduated from the program in prior sessions under Deputy Garrison, and we’re excited for more students to learn not only drug resistance, but critical thinking skills, and how to deal with situations like sexting, relationship abuse, and alcohol abuse.
 
What’s important to know is that this is not your same old DARE program from when you were in school. This program has been revamped, and focuses on giving students the tools to think critically about the situations they’re in. These students leave the program with skills that will follow them for life, like handling uncomfortable or potentially harmful incidents. It’s more than, “just say no.” It empowers students to take charge of themselves, and not fall victim to external pressures. They no longer feel like they have to send that snapchat, stay in that toxic relationship, or be subjected to abuse. Students gain the self-confidence to be themselves, and not fall victim to the culture of today.
 
We are thankful that Deputy Garrison has taken up the mantle, and we love her heart for our kids in Walker County. We’re glad she chooses to protect our children!

Recently, deputies responded to the 1400 block of Self Road in the Oakman Community after a call from the residents reported multiple gunshots being fired into their vehicle and residence where the family, including a small child, was at. No injuries were reported during the initial incident. After processing the scene and collecting close to 30 shell casings, investigators identified John Paul Rutledge Ill as the shooter.

A search warrant was obtained and served at the 300 block of Slate Creek Road in Oakman, a short distance from the crime scene. This property was the suspect’s residence. Investigators recovered an AR-15 style rifle with a 30 round magazine, along with ammunition that matched what was used at the crime scene. Mr. Rutledge was at the home at the time the search warrant was executed. Also at the property, was Chase Worley. Mr. Worley had several active warrants, and both subjects were taken into custody.

This residence has been the subject of several drug complaints and highlights the impact of consolidating our investigations divisions. Most violent crimes are tied, either directly or loosely, to the narcotics trade. By combining the investigations and narcotics divisions, this quickly closed out not only a criminal case, but also a narcotics complaint.

No further information is available at this time. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Last week, your WCSO responded to 380 calls for service. In these calls for service, is included domestic violence calls, disabled motorist calls, and even a situation where a veteran was in distress. We’re glad to report that veteran is receiving medical treatment. These calls for service are our primary responsibility, as public servants. We care about our community and strive to offer impeccable service to our citizens.
 
While we weren’t busy with calls, we made 54 traffic stops, where we took time to educate citizens about the motor vehicle laws of Alabama. We also made nine arrests during the week, which is a slight increase over the prior week’s numbers.
 
We’re proud to serve you, Walker County. If you need us, please give us a call at 205-302-6464

Your sheriff’s office enjoyed a beautiful day while out at the Sumiton Frog Festival. Our tent saw hundreds of visitors, and Sheriff did not hardly have time to take selfies with them all. We’re always glad to be out and be an integral part of our communities, because our county is a great, and special place. There aren’t many opportunities left where people can come together and enjoy each other’s company, so we relish every opportunity.

The Walker County Sheriff’s Office responded to a veteran in distress who was on the phone with the Veteran’s Crisis Line in the Curry area.  Multiple rounds were fired by the veteran during the hours long negotiations.  The incident was resolved peacefully, and the veteran was taken to the hospital for treatment and the area is safe.
 
We want to thank the Veteran’s Crisis Line for their professional work helping to resolve the tense situation. Any veteran can reach out to the Crisis Line by dialing 988. We appreciate the work of our patrol, investigations, and all other personnel that responded to assist today.

The WCSO Aviation Division is ready to assist in the Appalachian Mountains with search & rescue operations, and also to deliver much needed help to the devastated regions of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Eastern Tennessee.
 
Through the mutual aid, we hope to bring home loved ones, and get critical supplies to affected areas. Captain Ray Capps, and other aviation unit members will lead the team in the coming days, if needed, so remember those in the affected areas, and pray for safe travels of our WCSO staff.
 
We want to thank Sanders Aviation for all of their support of our aviation division. Without them, our helicopter would not fly, nor would we have pilots. We truly thank Joey Sanders, and Sanders Aviation for partnering with us and taking off, both literally and figuratively, with us. Also, we thank the Walker County Law Enforcement Foundation for their support. With our partners, the aviation division is entirely funded by donations, and the fuel is paid for by Sanders Aviation.

Recently, the investigations division has been out enjoying the cooler weather, but still keeping the streets hot. Through diligent and relentless work, their efforts yielded the recovery of several vehicles, and thousands of dollars worth of recovered property.
 
Over in Union Chapel, investigators were following up on tips and leads that led them to a residence near Arrow Road, where a Dodge Dakota was recovered behind an abandoned house. The investigations continued, and within a day or so, a Chevrolet Silverado was recovered near Kelley Drive. The investigation is on-going, and we’ll offer an update as more details develop.
 
Earlier this year, a storage unit was burglarized, and nearly $1,500 of items were taken. After getting out in community, and getting the subjects identified from surveillance footage, warrants were secured and the subject was taken into custody. As the investigation is ongoing, and other persons of interests are being developed, names of arrestees will be released at a later date. This investigation highlights the need for security measures like video cameras, and alarm systems. These tools greatly enhance the ability for investigators to identify and develop persons of interest, and significantly increase the chances of recovering stolen property. 
 
We thank the continued hard work, and selfless dedication of our investigators.

Overnight, the WCSO SWAT and Narcotics teams executed a search warrant on a residence on Thach Loop. One arrest was made, and the individual was taken into custody. More details will be released at a later date.
 
If you have concerns of drug-related activity in your area, send us a tip via our app, which can be downloaded via your phone’s app store.
APP STORE:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/walker-county-sheriffs-office/id1513993773
GOOGLE PLAY:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ocv.walkerCountyAlSheriff&pcampaignid=web_share