TPD Issues Statement Mourning Slain Officer, Hillcrest Grad Garrett Crumby

TUSCALOOSA, AL — More details have been released about a former Tuscaloosa Police officer and Hillcrest High graduate who was shot and killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic violence call Tuesday in Huntsville.

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Officer Garrett Crumby, a 2004 graduate of Hillcrest, worked for the Tuscaloosa Police Department from November 2013 until leaving for the Huntsville Police Department in August 2020.

As Patch previously reported, Crumby was shot when responding to a call at an apartment complex Governors House Drive and died from his injuries. He was 36 years old. Another officer was also critically injured in the shooting.

The Tuscaloosa Police Department said Crumby had previously been a volunteer firefighter with Englewood-Hulls Department of the Duncanville Volunteer Fire Department, before they split off to become their own department.

At TPD, Crumby worked in the patrol division, serving as a field training officer his last three years and helping train new recruits.

TPD also said Crumby's wife, Taylor, worked for the department as a dispatcher for several years.

"While we were sad to see both of them go, we were glad they had settled in and were thriving in her hometown," TPD said in a statement on Wednesday.

TPD also cited a recent Huntsville news story that showed Crumby, a fellow Huntsville Police officer and a citizen they assisted in 2022.

"The man had been pushing his wheelchair, filled with groceries, down a busy road just as a storm was coming in," TPD said. "The officers loaded the wheelchair and groceries in their patrol car, drove the man home and had everything inside just as the heavy rains began. He understood this job isn’t just about responding to crimes — it’s about helping others and making connections with the people we serve."

TPD went on to say that the Huntsville Police Department's motto is “Courage, Integrity and Professionalism.” — traits they insist Crumby exhibited while serving the citizens of Tuscaloosa and Huntsville.

"Our thoughts are with his family, and the men and women of Huntsville PD as they mourn this terrible loss," TPD said.

Juan Robert Laws, 24, was arrested late Tuesday night and charged with capital murder of a law enforcement officer.

Crumby, the first Alabama police officer to die in the line of duty this year, is the third officer with connections to the Tuscaloosa Police Department to die in the line of duty in the last five years, following active TPD investigator Dornell Cousette in 2019 and former TPD intern and Meridian Police officer Kennis Croom last year.

"I am deeply saddened by the death of former Tuscaloosa Police officer Garrett Crumby," Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox said on Wednesday. "Officer Crumby of the Huntsville Police Department was a hero. My prayers are with his family, friends, and fellow officers. We continue to pray for Officer Morin, who is in critical condition."

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