The teenage son of an Alabama sheriff’s deputy was arrested after authorities say he shot and killed the sheriff of a neighboring county.
William Chase Johnson, 18, was arrested around midnight on Saturday after a four-hour manhunt. He is accused of fatally shooting Lowndes County Sheriff John “Big John” Williams earlier that night at a gas station in Hayneville.
Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Sgt. Steve Jarrett said that Johnson shot Williams around 8 p.m. and fled the scene but returned to the same gas station later to turn himself into authorities.
“Details as to how he fled the scene and then reappeared at the scene, all that’s going to be investigated,” Jarrett said.
Although little information about the circumstances of the death is available, Jarrett said that Williams was on duty and involved in an incident at the gas station around the time that he was shot. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s office confirmed on Sunday that Johnson was the son of one of its deputies, but a name has not been made available.
Gov. Kay Ivey offered condolences after the shooting and said that Williams had “dedicated his life to keeping other people safe.”
“It’s always hard to see a fellow law enforcement officer lose his life,” Jarrett said of the death. “But Big John Williams was known by people all through the state and probably neighboring states. He was just a great guy. He worked 24/7, he was always willing to help. The citizens here loved him.”
He added, “It just couldn’t have happened to a nicer person or better law enforcement officer.”
Williams was elected sheriff of the county in 2010 and had served with the department full time since 1987.
