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Sheriff Shot Friday Returns Home After Surgery
September 10, 2012
Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff Grover Smith was released from the hospital Sunday, two days after being shot following a deadly standoff in Flomaton. And Monday, he was back at work in his Brewton office.
Fragments from the .357 bullet that hit Smith are still in his arm, along with metal plates to strengthen a shattered bone.
Meanwhile, funeral services were held Sunday for James Arrington Jr., who took his own life Friday after shooting Smith.
The Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Office was joined by a tactical response team from the Brewton Police Department in an attempt to serve a mental health commitment order to pick up Arrington from his home in Flomaton and transport him to a mental health facility.
Arrington became uncooperative with authorities and barricaded himself alone inside his residence.
When the Brewton tactical team and Smith entered the home about two and a half hours later, Arrington fired his weapon, striking Smith in the forearm. The Alabama Bureau of Investigation’s preliminary investigation has confirmed hat Arrington then shot himself.
For an earlier story and more details, click here.
Pictured top: Investigators remained on scene for hours after the Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff was shot Friday morning at this home in Flomaton. Pictured top inset: Sheriff Grover Smith. Pictured below: The Escambia County (Fla.) EMS unit that transported the wounded sheriff arrives at the scene Friday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
12 Responses to “Sheriff Shot Friday Returns Home After Surgery”
WHERE DID JIM GET THE GUN? CAN ANYONE WITH MENTAL PROBLEMS BUY A GUN OR IS THERE A DATA BASE THAT ALERTS RETAILERS OF A PERSONS MENTAL CAPACITY?
SPEEDY RECOVERY TO THE SHERIFF AND PRAYERS FOR BOTH FAMILIES.
Glad you are home Sheriff – Hope you have a speedy recovery. I am sure you did your best and hope that all of the second guessing and negative comments don’t get you down. Glad you are ok now and recovering !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Prayers for both families.
I’m not saying what the Sheriff did was right or wrong because I wasn’t there – and I’ll bet neither was any of the others doing all the second guessing and finger pointing. He did what he did and if he wants to explain it he can. If you weren’t there, leave it alone.
My sympathies to the Arrington family and speedy recovery to the Sheriff and the others traumatized by this incident.
As an experienced law enforcement officer with tactical training, over 20 years experience and several hundred tactical entries under my belt, I question why was the sheriff going in on an entry with the SWAT team when he isn’t SWAT certified. In this situation, it seems the person was barricaded alone, in his own home, and was no threat to anybody other than himself. The sensible thing to do would have been to wait him out, attempt to engage him in dialogue, hope you could convince him to come out and not make entry. If you have the house he is in covered from all sides by officers behind cover, who can he harm other that himself? In this case, I think waiting him out would have been the proper action. If he killed himself inside with nobody else around, the outcome would have still been tragic, but Sheriff Smith wouldn’t have been wounded. As it is, every member of that SWAT team and Sheriff Smith put their life at risk needlessly when this guy presented little threat to anybody other than himself as long as they could have maintained a secure perimeter. This whole ordeal lasted about two and a half hours. They could have waited longer.
I hope Sheriff Smith has a full recovery. Such a sad ending.
I am sure Sheriff Smith had been involved with Mr. Arrington many times over the years. And I am also sure he has talked Mr. Arrington into submitting to authorities many times. You build a relationship with people even though they are mentally ill or convicts. It is a dangerous job and this just goes to show us that we should never let our shields down in any situation. I feel sure that if Mr Arrington been on his meds or in the right state of mind that he would never have done either of these actions. Please be a support system to our mentally ill citizens of our community. May our law enforcement agencies learn from this terrible situation. Prayers to Sheriff Smith and the Arrington family.
I have known Sherriff Smith and Mr Arrington almost all my life.. I am certain that Sherriff Smith has known Mr Arrington for a long time, and I agree with David Hammon that the Sherriff took the lead to try and talk him down.. Mr Arrington comes from a good family, served his country, and I think that Sherriff Smith was correct in giving this troubled man every consideration possible.. My prayers are with the Arrington family, and Sherriff Grover Smith.. This is a really sad ending to a tragic situation..
Yes I agree it was an Honorable move, but was it the right move with the mental capacity of this man? You have units trained and well equipped with shields that could push him down to the ground to secure him. But there is no changing what happened now, just couldve ended a lot worse. Praying for both families,
The Sheriff probably went in first because he has known Jim and the family for years and thought he might be able to talk Jim down without violence. An honorable move by a good man.
WHY WHY WHY did he go in ahead of his tactical team!? … That makes zero sense! that’s why he called them in correct?… that was a dumb move that costed him a bullet in his arm! and he should be thankful that was all that happened! Glad he is back home!
wishing Grover Smith a speedy recovery.A dedicated and honest sheriff .
May you have a speedy recovery and THANKS for the job you do.