Crime & Safety
Suspect Charged In Police Shootout
Two attempted murder warrants have been issued for a suspect involved in a shootout with police March 11.
BIRMINGHAM, AL — A suspect has been charged after a shootout between police and a car theft suspect resulted in a Birmingham police officer being shot. Kenneth Whitehead, 40, of Birmingham has been charged with two counts of attempted murder stemming from the March 11 incident.
Officer Anthony Wheeler was one of two officers who made a traffic stop on Tuscaloosa Avenue on the afternoon of March 11 during an investigation of a car theft, according to police reports. During the stop, three suspects exited the car and fled the area.
Sgt. Rod Mauldin of the Birmingham Police Department said a foot chase resulted in Wheeler and Whitehead exchanging gunfire. Both were hit and wounded, and taken to UAB Hospital.
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Both remain hospitalized with injuries that do not appear to be life-threatening, Mauldin said.
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