Shooting involving DeKalb County deputy under investigation after hours-long interstate shutdown in Alabama

Staff file photo by Ben Benton / DeKalb County, Ala., Sheriff's Office in Fort Payne, Ala.
Staff file photo by Ben Benton / DeKalb County, Ala., Sheriff's Office in Fort Payne, Ala.

Alabama's State Bureau of Investigation is probing an incident involving a shot fired Wednesday night by a DeKalb County Sheriff's Office deputy during an incident on Interstate 59 between Fort Payne and Collinsville.

The shooting forced a shutdown of the interstate's northbound lanes for hours.

According to posts on the sheriff's office social media page late Wednesday, a deputy was involved in a shooting on I-59, but neither the suspect nor the officer were injured. During the incident, motorists were asked to seek an alternate route.

The suspect involved was taken into custody and the interstate reopened several hours later, officials said in the post. Since those posts late Wednesday, DeKalb County Sheriff's Office officials have not responded to requests for comment.

The suspect involved has not been publicly identified.

State Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Lt. Matthew Chance said there was no new information to release as the investigation continues.

Wednesday's was not the first shooting incident this year. Back in March, another shooting involving a DeKalb County deputy and suspect during a high-speed pursuit also ended on I-59. That suspect was later identified as Juan Becerra Jr., 39, of Southside, Alabama.

Becerra was taken into custody at the scene, treated for injuries and released later the same night, according to a statement by a department spokesman.

Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569. Follow him on Twitter @BenBenton or at www.facebook.com/benbenton1.

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