By Nadia M. Taylor
The Mobile Press-Register
MOBILE, Ala. - A Mobile police officer shot and killed a man late Friday after the two began to struggle and the man hit the officer with a stick, authorities said.
Officer Bryan Mims shot Gregory Seales, 45, in the left side as the two fought in a ditch near Primavera Lane east of Dauphin Island Parkway in south Mobile, said police spokesman Officer Eric Gallichant.
Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson Jr., who went to the scene, said an investigation into the shooting should be complete by Tuesday.
“But, at this point in the investigation, all indications are that this was a lawful and clean shooting,” Tyson said Saturday.
Mims stopped Seales, who was riding a bicycle, about 11 p.m. near Creekway and Pinehaven drives, police said. Seales tried to run, said Mobile police Chief Phillip Garrett, and the officer used a Taser to immobilize him.
“Apparently, he went down and then got back up, which I’m not sure how that happened,” Garrett said.
Seales fled again, and the officer chased him through the backyards of Creekway Drive and into the wooded area behind the homes, police said.
Mims and Seales then got into a struggle in a ditch, Seales struck the officer with a stick, and the officer shot Seales, Tyson said.
“They confronted each other in a hand-to-hand struggle, and at one point, the officer discharged the gun,” Garrett said.
Seales began running toward Primavera Lane, where he collapsed between two homes, Gallichant said.
Seales died at the scene.
Tyson and Garrett both said they did not know why the officer originally stopped Seales.
Garrett said he “did not know of another gun” involved besides Mims’. Garrett said there had been some burglaries in the area and Mims may have been investigating those.
Seales lived in Mobile, but Gallichant said he did not know where.
Mims was placed on administrative leave but will be assigned to “light duty” until the investigation is complete, Gallichant said.
Press-Register archives show that Mims graduated from the police academy and on Feb. 2 was sworn in as an officer.
Members of the Mobile Police Department’s Homicide Unit and the Internal Affairs Unit responded to the shooting.
The Mobile Press-Register