Man Arrested After Damaging Tuscaloosa Police Car In Pursuit

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa Police say a Shelby County man led officers on a lengthy pursuit and damaged a police car in a stolen truck Sunday morning before eventually surrendering in downtown Birmingham.

The Tuscaloosa Police Department said Ricky Wayne Russell, 40, was charged Sunday with first-degree theft, reckless endangerment and attempting to elude. He was also issued multiple traffic citations when he was taken into custody following a nearly two-hour chase that reached speeds higher than 50-60 mph.

The Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Brookwood and Hueytown police departments all assisted in the pursuit.

TPD said dispatchers spoke to a caller at 9:45 a.m. Sunday morning who reported seeing a box truck that was stolen from a business on James I. Harrison Jr. Parkway.

Once an officer located the truck and attempted a traffic stop in the Five Points area of University Boulevard East at 9:46 a.m., TPD says Russell refused to stop, leading the officer east on Alabama Highway 216 toward Brookwood.

Russell also reportedly caused major damage to a TPD patrol vehicle he struck twice while driving on the wrong side of Highway 216 near Lock 17 Road. TPD says no injuries were reported among police, citizens or the suspect.

Investigators said Russell continued driving, getting onto Interstate 20/59 in Bessemer.

"As he drove through the Ensley area about 40 minutes into the pursuit, a Jefferson County deputy deployed spike strips that disabled one of the truck's back tires," TPD said in a media release. "That rim eventually fell off, followed by second one after 20 minutes of driving on the interstate at 35 miles per hour."

TPD then said Russell slowed to around 10 miles per hour by the time he pulled off Exit 124A and came to a stop at Fifth Avenue North and 12th Street North in Birmingham, before officers took him into custody at 11:31 a.m.

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