COLBERT COUNTY — On Wednesday, April 1, at approximately 10:50 p.m., Special Agents
assigned to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) State Bureau of Investigation
(SBI) launched an investigation into an officer-involved shooting, involving a deputy with the
Colbert County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident occurred when Deputies with the Colbert County Sheriff’s Office attempted to
conduct a traffic stop of a motorcycle. The operator of the motorcycle refused to stop and a
pursuit ensued, ultimately ending in the area of Cotton Town Lane and King Bridge Road in
Leighton, located within Colbert County. During the course of the pursuit, the operator
brandished a firearm at Deputies, which caused a Deputy to discharge his weapon. The operator,
later identified as William Robert Marlar, 38, of Leighton, was struck by gunfire and was
transported to Huntsville Hospital for treatment. No officers were injured over the course of the
incident.
Nothing further is available as the investigation remains ongoing. Once complete, the findings
will be turned over to the Colbert County District Attorney’s Office.
A deputy attempted to stop a motorcycle for an expired tag near Cottontown Lane around 10:00 p.m.. The driver, identified as William Marlar, fled, leading a chase that ended in a cornfield.
According to Sheriff Balentine, a struggle ensued when the deputy tried to remove Marlar from the motorcycle. Marlar reportedly pulled a semi-automatic handgun and pointed it at the deputy.
Media Release/Alabama Law Enforcement Agency
From Colbert County Sheriff’s Department
The deputy shot Marlar “five or six times”. Deputies provided immediate first aid before Marlar was airlifted to Huntsville Hospital, where he underwent surgery and is expected to survive.
Sheriff Balentine’s Remarks:
Public Safety Warning: Balentine emphasized the danger of confronting law enforcement with weapons, stating, “If you brandish a firearm toward law enforcement, the possibility of you being shot is very great”
Media Release/Colbert County Sheriff’s Office
