Two law enforcement officers from the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles were fired upon Thursday as they approached a Bessemer home to conduct a supervisory visit with an offender.
Officer in Charge Sidney Yarbrough and Officer Steven Motley, both assigned to the Bureau’s Bessemer Field Office, were not injured in the incident. Other parole and probation officers in the area converged on the scene along with officers from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department. Probationer Terry Easter was arrested on a probation violation after the incident. Other charges are pending completion of an investigation by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
“Officers of the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles put their lives on the line every day working to help keep communities all across the state safe,” Bureau Director Charlie Graddick said. “Our officers are courageous and dedicated to public safety, and our state is a better place because of their work. We are so grateful that Officers Yarbrough and Motley were not hurt, and we are grateful for the assistance of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and our other parole and probation officers on the scene.”
Parole and probation officers make home visits to their clients as part of the process of supervising offenders’ transition back into the community after criminal convictions. Officers Yarbrough and Motley approached a building next to the Bessemer home Thursday morning on a regular home visit when they were fired upon from inside the building. The officers took cover and called for backup to help bring the situation under control.