Three county chase ends in Greenville
BY BRUCE BRANUM
The Greenville Standard
On Tuesday, Feb. 17, a high speed chase involving law enforcement from three counties ended in downtown Greenville with the arrest of Destin Labruce Casey, age 33 of Range.
After investigating a shooting, where one man was shot multiple times early that morning in Monroeville around 1:45 a.m., Monroeville Police officers attempted to pull over a vehicle on East Clairborne Street near the downtown square later that morning around 7:45 a.m.
The vehicle allegedly fled from police and officers along with Monroeville Sheriff’s deputies began to pursue.
Law enforcement chased the car up Alabama State Highway 21 through Beatrice and entered Wilcox County and then into Butler County.
Butler County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) deputies picked up pursuit at the Wilcox County line on Alabama State Highway 10 and continued the chase into Greenville city limits where the Greenville Police Department (GPD) joined in assistance.
During the pursuit, the vehicle reached speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour through downtown Greenville according to Butler County Sheriff David Scruggs.
The vehicle ultimately crashed at the intersection of Commerce Street and Church Street near the shop of Sweet Heart Alabama.
Casey exited the vehicle and fled on foot through a nearby parking lot and was apprehended near the Butler County Human Resources Department and Greenville Police Department headquarters.
He was driving alone during the chase and officers recovered several firearms from the car.
Casey was booked in the Butler County Correctional Facility and later transferred to the jail in Monroeville.
He is facing charges in Monroeville of felony evading arrest and unlawful possession of a firearm and additional charges by the BSCO and GPD.
According to an article by The Monroe Journal, during the pursuit, Monroe County Sheriff’s deputy Lt. Corey Morrow was injured in a crash involving a log truck on Alabama State Highway 21 North, just south of Beatrice.
He was removed from his patrol vehicle and flown by medical helicopter to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Fla.
Morrow, who also serves as a Monroe County Commissioner, was released later in the day and is recovering from injuries.
The victim of the shooting, a male in his early thirties, was taken to the hospital, where he remained as of Tuesday afternoon.
Sheriff Scruggs said later, “I want to commend all law enforcement involved and their dedication to protect and serve the public. This was a prime example of coordination between law enforcement agencies of various counties to do just that.”
