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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

A manhunt ensued for a suspect in the Mt. Pleasant community of Chilton County in the midafternoon of July 30 after an altercation with an off-duty police officer.

Darrell Bone, an officer with the Clanton Police Department, was off duty when he arrived at his residence to find an individual in his backyard acting suspiciously. Bone and the suspect had what was described as a squabble, and the suspect ran away with Bone in pursuit. Eventually, Bone lost track of the suspect, and a manhunt ensued in the area of County Roads 53, 83 and 407. There was only one suspect, and no one was injured in the altercation.

Officers from the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office, Clanton Police Department and other agencies from around the county, as well as support from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency helicopter and several K9s supported the search efforts. The track was lost in the evening, and the search was suspended. Citizens in the area were calling local authorities with possible sightings of the suspect throughout the afternoon, and the search was back on shortly after it was called off following a tip the suspect was spotted again. Officers caught the suspect quickly after the second search began.

Upon the arrest being made, it was learned that the suspect is a male juvenile under the age of 18. While the original report of the events included a burglary, it is unclear at this time what charges will come of the events. The suspect’s name and certain information with the case will not be released due to his age as well.

“I do not know exactly at this time what the charges will be, but they have him in custody,” Chilton County Sheriff John Shearon said. “Because he is a juvenile, and because of the charges, if any at all, there is not a whole lot that can be done.”

Shearon added that the normal operating procedure for a juvenile arrest for a nonviolent crime or a lower-level misdemeanor is the department will sign petitions for the offender, release the juvenile back to the parents and then bring the individual to court to learn more about the events of the day.

If any more information about the case is released, this story will be updated accordingly.