State Troopers confirm video of controversial Chickasaw crash

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Alabama State Troopers confirmed they are in possession of dash camera video of a controversial car accident in Chickasaw.

Investigators said two officers in a police cruiser were responding to a burglary call when their car collided with the vehicle at the Delaware Street and Thompson Boulevard intersection in Chickasaw on Thursday, January 31.

Neighbors are questioning some of the preliminary reports from CPD.

Witnesses said there were “No lights, no sirens. There was a stop sign. (The officer) ran right through it and right into this family” but Chickasaw Police Department Sgt. Tommy McDuffie says "lights and sirens were on, activated on the patrol car, as they were en route."

Law enforcement officials said the Chickasaw Police Department is conducting its own internal investigation. Alabama State Troopers are also investigating the crash.

What’s emergency response protocol?

FOX10 asked Chickasaw Police Chief Mike Reynolds about police protocol.

Chief Reynolds said when the department receives an emergency call, officers respond with blue lights and sirens. It is up to the officer’s discretion however as to how they respond to the call depending on the “closeness of arriving to the call.”

Chief Reynolds said there was a patrol officer and a state certified reserve officer inside the vehicle at the time of the accident. He would not say, however, who was driving at the time of the accident.

Alabama State Trooper Joe Piggott said the dash camera video of the crash is considered evidence and won’t be released by state troopers.

Piggott said officials are still working on the accident report and neighbors say they saw investigators canvassing the area Tuesday.

Piggott said one of the investigators saw Fox10’s report Monday night and wanted to find out more.

“One of our investigators was trying to locate somebody you guys talked to maybe last night,” Piggott said.

He said the investigation could take anywhere from a week to 10 days.