Suspect arrested near Atlanta

[JohnDeere 0]

Officer shot in head

Suspect arrested near Atlanta

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The man suspected of shooting a Montgomery police officer was arrested Friday afternoon at a gas station near Atlanta, officials said.

Mario Woodward was arrested after investigators followed leads that took them from Montgomery to Birmingham and then to McDonough.

Montgomery Officer Keith Houts, 30, was shot in the head as he approached a car he had stopped for speeding around 12:40 p.m. Thursday. He was in grave condition.

Houts remained in grave critical condition with a severed spine Friday evening. He also suffered from complications from pneumonia.

Woodward entered the gas station store Friday afternoon and had an unusual demeanor, gas station attendant Rejandra Bandi told the Daily Herald.

Bandi said the suspect was talking on a cell phone and asked for directions.

"I had about eight customers in line and I told him I didn't know because it was too far," Bandi said. "That's when he said to the person on the phone, 'It's too far man."'

Bandi said Woodward walked outside and stood in front of the door talking on the phone. A plain-clothes officer entered the store, Bandi said, and on his way out, pulled a gun and arrested Woodward.

"He told him to put his hands up, that's when more police came with guns telling him to get down," Bandi said. "There were 20 police cars outside."

Henry County Department K-9 units searched a wooded area near the store and the side of the building after the arrest.

"We're glad we finally caught him because he was a danger to the public," Ergas said. "If he's willing to shoot a public servant, there's no telling what he was capable of doing to someone's family or anyone else."

Lt. Keith Barnett of the Montgomery Police Departmentsaid the arrest was the result of a collaborative effort between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

Barnett said Woodward is being held in the Henry County jail and will have to be processed in Georgia before returning to Alabama. His return should be quick unless he decides to fight extradition, in which case it could take a few weeks.

Woodward was described as having a previous arrest record.

Houts was shot in the head after stopping a silver 2006 Chevrolet Impala in a north Montgomery community a few blocks from police headquarters. The car was found Thursday evening.

Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright said on Friday that Houts was shot several more times after falling to the ground but that the bullets did not penetrate his bulletproof vest.

Houts' family and friends have gathered at the hospital since Thursday. His uncle, Jerome Putman, told WSFA television station that the family is relieved Woodward has been caught but that their focus is on praying for Houts.

Houts and his wife were both army reservists who had served in Iraq. He joined the Montgomery Police Department in August 2005.

"His desire was to be a policeman and to take the bad guys off the streets," Putman said.

[lukeduke 8]

Update to the story:

Houts passed away Saturday evening, shortly after Woodward was extradited to the Montomery County Detention Facility. He is due up for arraignment on capital murder charges. The D.A. is seeking the death penalty.

[saniflush 0]

Update to the story:

Houts passed away Saturday evening, shortly after Woodward was extradited to the Montomery County Detention Facility. He is due up for arraignment on capital murder charges. The D.A. is seeking the death penalty.

Time to fry that sucker!

[Bottomfeeder 244]

Officers in this Alabama should do as Florida does and ask the driver to exit the vehicle. They have a speaker under the hood connected to the radio and used asa PA. All police should have this by now. After stopping the vehicle, police in Florida ask the driver to exit the vehicle where they can observe from there. Heck, for that matter every officer should be able to ask drivers to lay down in the prone position hands to their sides, but I'm sure there will be many suits who wouldn't like to mess up their pin-point oxfords (Hathaway).

[otterinbham 0]

Officers in this Alabama should do as Florida does and ask the driver to exit the vehicle. They have a speaker under the hood connected to the radio and used asa PA. All police should have this by now. After stopping the vehicle, police in Florida ask the driver to exit the vehicle where they can observe from there. Heck, for that matter every officer should be able to ask drivers to lay down in the prone position hands to their sides, but I'm sure there will be many suits who wouldn't like to mess up their pin-point oxfords (Hathaway).

Wow. Bottomfeeder. I really agreed with every word of your post. Until the last line. Is there any subject that's safe from some incoherent socialist rant? What is the source of this psychosis on your part? I think board really wants to know at this point. Your downward spiral into paranoia is beginning to fascinate us.

[Bottomfeeder 244]

Officers in this Alabama should do as Florida does and ask the driver to exit the vehicle. They have a speaker under the hood connected to the radio and used asa PA. All police should have this by now. After stopping the vehicle, police in Florida ask the driver to exit the vehicle where they can observe from there. Heck, for that matter every officer should be able to ask drivers to lay down in the prone position hands to their sides, but I'm sure there will be many suits who wouldn't like to mess up their pin-point oxfords (Hathaway).

Wow. Bottomfeeder. I really agreed with every word of your post. Until the last line. Is there any subject that's safe from some incoherent socialist rant? What is the source of this psychosis on your part? I think board really wants to know at this point. Your downward spiral into paranoia is beginning to fascinate us.

I need more meds.

[Captain Liger 0]

Officers in this Alabama should do as Florida does and ask the driver to exit the vehicle. They have a speaker under the hood connected to the radio and used asa PA. All police should have this by now. After stopping the vehicle, police in Florida ask the driver to exit the vehicle where they can observe from there. Heck, for that matter every officer should be able to ask drivers to lay down in the prone position hands to their sides, but I'm sure there will be many suits who wouldn't like to mess up their pin-point oxfords (Hathaway).

Wow. Bottomfeeder. I really agreed with every word of your post. Until the last line. Is there any subject that's safe from some incoherent socialist rant? What is the source of this psychosis on your part? I think board really wants to know at this point. Your downward spiral into paranoia is beginning to fascinate us.

I need more meds.

Wal-Mart in Tampa sells generic drugs for $4 per prescription. Of course, Wal-Mart isn't unionized so that may propose a problem for you. Cost/benefit analysis....it's a bitch.

[Bottomfeeder 244]

I really feel sorry for that poor police officer's family. I pray for the Holy Spirit of God to comfort them through this terrible time in their lives.

Wal-Mart in Tampa sells generic drugs for $4 per prescription. Of course, Wal-Mart isn't unionized so that may propose a problem for you. Cost/benefit analysis....it's a bitch.

I need to check the WALMART site to see if my meds are on their. But I really believe they're going to be aging American types of meds on sale. It's okay though I have insurance now. And, when I get my ticket back next week, in 90 days or less, I'll have BCBS of the corndog state then too.

Got BCBS of Alabama, but I do use Sam's pharmacy because, as a conservative, I like to keep insurance costs down. Unlike CVS and Walgreen, Sam's doesn't charge as much as Walmart. Eventhough BCBS is paying the bill, I shop for the best deal as if I had to buy them myself. Whatever it takes to conserve.