Authorities late this afternoon charged a man with murder in the
shooting death of his wife at a Jemison doctor's office earlier today.
Eric "Heath" Price, a 26-year-old former U.S. Marine, was taken to UAB Hospital where he remains under police guard. Price's family members say he was wounded during the takedown, but law enforcement officials say Price shot himself in the head and is expected to survive.
Jemison Police Chief Shane Fulmer identified the victim as 24-year-old Leaj Jarvis Price. She died on the scene from a gunshot wound to the head.
Price apparently posted on Facebook shortly after the shooting of his wife. "im sorry everyone, its been real, good bye and i love you all" and "I dei today."
The Facebook page was taken down just before 11:30 a.m.
About 40 police officers and sheriff's deputies responded to the
scene after receiving a 911 call at 9:17 a.m. reporting a shooting at
the office of Dr. Jayprakash Patel's in the 2400 block of U.S. 31. The
highway was shut down south of County Road 42.
Jemison and Thorsby schools were placed on lockdown following the shooting, Chilton County School Superintendent Tommy Glasscock posted on the school's website. School officials asked that parents not call 911, assuring them that students are safe.
Witnesses said the 24-year-old victim, who lives next door to Patel's office, got into some kind of domestic situation with her husband. She ran to the doctor's office yelling for help, said Jose Arreola, the owner of Chico's tire shop across the street.
Arreola said the woman got inside the front door of the clinic. "The guy was trying to get her,'' he said. "The doctors came out to help her but he pulled a gun and shot her."
"She was laying there a long time,'' Arreola said. Police said she was shot with a small-caliber handgun.
Police said the victim was found in the lobby of the doctor's office. There were initial reports of hostages, but Fulmer said that wasn't the case. The doctor's office staff locked themselves in a back room until the office was secured by law enforcement, and them removed from the building to a safe location, Fulmer said.
The gunman then fled into the couple's nearby rental home where he was holed up for several hours. The standoff ended at 12:24 p.m.
Chilton County Sheriff John Shearon said a tactical response unit flushed the suspect out of the residence using tear gas. "He exited, and we took the suspect down in the yard," Shearon said. "He was suffering from one self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head."
Shearon said he believes the suspect shot himself inside the building and then came out. He said the suspect was speaking while in the ambulance.
No shots were fired by law enforcement, Shearon said.
There were six or seven people in the office at the time, Fulmer said. "There never was an active shooter, no hostages. The individual was shot inside the doctor's office. He ran from the scene and barricaded himself inside the residence," Fulmer said.
A man who said he is related to the shooter -- and asked that his name not be used -- spoke with AL.com during the standoff.
"He doesn't have a history of any legal violence or anything like that," the relative said. "We knew that he has had some issues in the past, but we didn't expect this."
The relative said Price had been going through a tough time. "I don't know that there were any diagnosed issues or anything like that." Court records don't reflect any prior criminal history for Price.
Court records show the man and the woman have been in an ongoing court battle regarding child support for their 6-year-old son. The victim filed for child support in November of 2014 in the Chilton County Circuit Court.
The couple's child was not in the home at the time of the standoff, officials said.
The case was set for a February 2015 hearing, but it appears notice of the hearing sent to the suspect was returned as undeliverable.
Chief Deputy District Attorney C.J. Robinson says his office is obtained search warrants this afternoon, and investigators searched the couple's home. The murder warrant was issued about 5 p.m.
Price will be taken to the Chilton County Jail once he is released from UAB Hospital. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the victim's family during these horrific and terrible times,'' Fulmer said. "Very tragic situation."
Madison Underwood contributed to this report.
Eric "Heath" Price, a 26-year-old former U.S. Marine, was taken to UAB Hospital where he remains under police guard. Price's family members say he was wounded during the takedown, but law enforcement officials say Price shot himself in the head and is expected to survive.
Jemison Police Chief Shane Fulmer identified the victim as 24-year-old Leaj Jarvis Price. She died on the scene from a gunshot wound to the head.
Price apparently posted on Facebook shortly after the shooting of his wife. "im sorry everyone, its been real, good bye and i love you all" and "I dei today."
The Facebook page was taken down just before 11:30 a.m.
Jemison and Thorsby schools were placed on lockdown following the shooting, Chilton County School Superintendent Tommy Glasscock posted on the school's website. School officials asked that parents not call 911, assuring them that students are safe.
Witnesses said the 24-year-old victim, who lives next door to Patel's office, got into some kind of domestic situation with her husband. She ran to the doctor's office yelling for help, said Jose Arreola, the owner of Chico's tire shop across the street.
Arreola said the woman got inside the front door of the clinic. "The guy was trying to get her,'' he said. "The doctors came out to help her but he pulled a gun and shot her."
"She was laying there a long time,'' Arreola said. Police said she was shot with a small-caliber handgun.
Police said the victim was found in the lobby of the doctor's office. There were initial reports of hostages, but Fulmer said that wasn't the case. The doctor's office staff locked themselves in a back room until the office was secured by law enforcement, and them removed from the building to a safe location, Fulmer said.
The gunman then fled into the couple's nearby rental home where he was holed up for several hours. The standoff ended at 12:24 p.m.
Chilton County Sheriff John Shearon said a tactical response unit flushed the suspect out of the residence using tear gas. "He exited, and we took the suspect down in the yard," Shearon said. "He was suffering from one self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head."
Shearon said he believes the suspect shot himself inside the building and then came out. He said the suspect was speaking while in the ambulance.
No shots were fired by law enforcement, Shearon said.
There were six or seven people in the office at the time, Fulmer said. "There never was an active shooter, no hostages. The individual was shot inside the doctor's office. He ran from the scene and barricaded himself inside the residence," Fulmer said.
A man who said he is related to the shooter -- and asked that his name not be used -- spoke with AL.com during the standoff.
"He doesn't have a history of any legal violence or anything like that," the relative said. "We knew that he has had some issues in the past, but we didn't expect this."
The relative said Price had been going through a tough time. "I don't know that there were any diagnosed issues or anything like that." Court records don't reflect any prior criminal history for Price.
Court records show the man and the woman have been in an ongoing court battle regarding child support for their 6-year-old son. The victim filed for child support in November of 2014 in the Chilton County Circuit Court.
The couple's child was not in the home at the time of the standoff, officials said.
The case was set for a February 2015 hearing, but it appears notice of the hearing sent to the suspect was returned as undeliverable.
Chief Deputy District Attorney C.J. Robinson says his office is obtained search warrants this afternoon, and investigators searched the couple's home. The murder warrant was issued about 5 p.m.
Price will be taken to the Chilton County Jail once he is released from UAB Hospital. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the victim's family during these horrific and terrible times,'' Fulmer said. "Very tragic situation."
Madison Underwood contributed to this report.
The BB&T Bank has a sign up saying it's closed due to a police emergency in Jemison pic.twitter.com/OI6z3y3nRL
-- Madison Underwood (@MadisonU) April 13, 2015
People being escorted out of a Family Dollar near where a woman was killed in Jemison. pic.twitter.com/m2w8Gf2tlE
-- Madison Underwood (@MadisonU) April 13, 2015
"We're just trying to get people out of building where they've been in there for a while," one officer says.
-- Madison Underwood (@MadisonU) April 13, 2015
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Good day precious one, We love you more than anything.