Man shot to death after DeKalb, Ala., foot chase

A DeKalb County, Ala., man was shot and killed after aiming a firearm at officers during a foot chase on Friday, according to authorities.

In a news release, Sheriff Jimmy Harris said a DeKalb deputy and an Alabama Highway Patrol officer tried to stop a four-wheeler on state Highway 117 in the Ider area.

Instead of stopping, the driver, later identified as Monroe Curtis Smith, turned onto a secondary road, then drove off the road onto private property with the officers in pursuit, Harris said in the release.

He said the officers saw Smith pick up a firearm before he abandoned the vehicle and ran. When the officers approached, Smith pointed the firearm at them, the release stated.

Smith ignored commands to drop his weapon and kept pointing it at the officers, so they opened fire, the news release stated.

Officers notified emergency personnel and performed CPR until ambulances arrived. Coroner Tom Wilson pronounced Smith dead on the scene at 5:13 p.m., the news release stated.

“These are tragic circumstances for all parties involved,” Harris said in the news release. “While I have sympathy for the family in this matter, I also have great concern for the officers and their safety. It’s unfortunate. We always hope situations like this can be avoided.”

The investigation is currently open, Harris said in the news release.