Lee County deputy shot while serving rape warrant. Suspect killed in exchange of fire
A Lee County Sheriff’s Office Deputy was shot but is in stable conditions after LCSO deputies and investigators attempted to serve a warrant in the Loachapoka area Wednesday afternoon, according to Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones.
LCSO deputies and investigators tried to serve a warrant for first-degree rape on a suspect in the 900 block of Lee Road 188, Jones told the Ledger-Enquirer.
When deputies attempted to enter the residence, the suspect immediately opened fire, striking one of the deputies in the arm, according to Jones.
Other deputies returned fire, striking the suspect, Jones said. He referred to the suspect as an adult Hispanic male, who died as a result of being shot. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency State Bureau of Investigation, which was called in to investigate the shooting, has identified the suspect as Wilder Cobon Gomez, 36, a Guatemalan national.
The deputy was taken to a medical facility, where he was stabilized before being life-flighted to UAB Hospital in Birmingham. The deputy was scheduled to have surgery Thursday for the wound to his arm, according to Jones.
Jones said the deputy is in stable condition, and the sheriff’s office is optimistic for a full recovery.
The LCSO was notified by an adult Hispanic female that she had been held at the residence where the shooting occurred for several days against her will and had been repeatedly sexually assaulted, Jones said.
The woman was able to leave the residence and travel to Loachapoka High School, where she informed a Lee County deputy who was working as a school resource officer, according to Jones.
The deputy immediately notified the LCSO investigations unit, which launched an inquiry and established enough facts and evidence to result in the issuance of the warrant by Wednesday afternoon, Jones said.
A 3-year-old child was in the residence during the shooting but wasn’t injured, Jones said. The child was identified as the son of the adult Hispanic female victim, according to Jones.
Jones said investigators are still looking into the nature of the relationship between the suspect and the victim.
The deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave with pay pending further investigative action, according to Jones.
Jones said the LCSO is working in partnership with ICE and HSI to try to establish the suspect’s status. He also thanked other local agencies for their help with the incident.
“The response, and cooperation and interaction among area agencies was nothing short of outstanding, extremely supportive,” he said.
Jones said he couldn’t tell how many calls and messages the sheriff’s office has received from the Lee County community sending best wishes for the deputy. He said the LCSO deeply appreciates the support.
Gomez’s body has been sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy, according to ALEA.