Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
The Homewood Police Department reported their officer is in stable condition and has been released from the hospital.
A Homewood police officer is in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery after being shot on his way to work on Sunday morning.
At 4:41 a.m. on Sunday, the officer was shot in the 2700 block of Ashley Manor in Moody. The officer was leaving the location to report to work, according to a press release by the Homewood Police Department.
Upon entering the marked police vehicle, several shots were fired by a suspect into the front of the vehicle. The officer was struck once. He then radioed for assistance and surrounding agencies responded.
The Moody Police Department arrived on the scene to find the officer, and he was transported to UAB Hospital with non-life threatening injuries
Moody police quickly identified 30-year-old Brandon Gaines as the shooter, and officers came into contact with him in a wooded area adjacent to Queens Court.
Gaines was reported to be carrying a rifle and two other weapons.
Upon coming into contact with him, the department began crisis negotiations, and negotiators spoke with Gaines for five hours. Despite being able to talk him out of two of the three weapons he had, Gaines then turned the gun on himself and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Investigators have described the incident as a domestic situation, and they continue to work to find Gaines' motive for shooting the officer.
The name of the wounded officer has not been released per the family's request, but he has been released form the hospital following surgery and is with his family recovering.
The Homewood Police Department expressed their appreciation to the medical staff at UAB for the care and treatment the officer received as well as the police and EMS agencies that responded to the scene.
