MADISON, Ala. - A man killed Sunday afternoon by Madison police pointed a gun at officers before he was shot, authorities said Monday.
The Madison County Sheriff's Office said two officers fired shots and killed Dana Sherrod Fletcher, 39, of Madison County, outside of the Planet Fitness on Highway 72 around 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The sheriff's office is investigating the shooting.
Authorities said Fletcher and a woman were inside the gym videoing people and asking personal questions. Madison police responded and found the two in a van with a child in the parking lot.
Fletcher and the woman were not cooperative with officers, and there was a gun in the van, according to the sheriff's office. There was a struggle, and the woman and child were pulled out of the van, authorities said.
After trying to use a Taser to get Fletcher under control, Fletcher got out with a gun in his hand and pointed it at officers, the sheriff's office said. That's when two officers fired and hit Fletcher, they said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Five officers were placed on leave after the shooting, Madison police said.
The sheriff's office said it's still gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses. There is video from a business showing Fletcher with a handgun, they said. Anyone else with information about the shooting can contact the sheriff's office at 256-533-8820 or by submitting information online.
WHNT News 19 has confirmed officers were wearing body cameras and has requested the video from the incident.
Madison County Coroner Tyler Berryhill said an autopsy was being conducted Monday. Toxicology and other reports from the autopsy should be done with four to six months, he said.
Many community members want to know exactly how Fletcher was killed. Fletcher's wife sent her version of the story to WHNT News 19 saying her deceased husband was unarmed when he was shot.
"You don't even have your story straight. So first of all, we don't believe you," said Cedric Wherry speaking about the Madison Police Department.
People are calling for more action to be taken... including the body cam footage to be released to the public.
''If you have bodycam footage why wouldn't you want to release it if your story is true? The only reason you want to hide it is because the camera is gonna say something different then what your story says," said Wherry.
Wherry said there is a cell phone video of the incident in various areas of social media. But WHNT News 19 has yet to confirm authenticity and ownership of that video. He said if law enforcement won't release the video, then the person who caught it on their cell should.
"If I had it, I would give it to you. With my name signed on it. It's only so long that stuff like this can keep going on and it not be a bigger issue than it is," said Wherry.
