Muscle Shoals Police Chief Clint Reck
MUSCLE SHOALS-On Saturday, October 2 the Muscle Shoals Police Department issued a statement regarding the shooting on October i where a body was thrown from a vehicle on Avalon Ave. The name of the victim in this incident has been released by the Muscle Shoals Police Chief, Clint Reck:
Summary of Events Homicide October 1, 2021 Muscle Shoals Police
SUMMARY:
On October 1, 2021 at approximately 1:44PM, the Muscle Shoals Police Department received a call of a pedestrian possibly being struck by a vehicle in the 800 block of Avalon Ave. Police, Fire and EMS arrived on scene as well as Police Detectives. Detectives viewed the victim, a white male, in the eastbound lane of Avalon Ave. and quickly determined the victim had sustained at least one gunshot wound to the head. A second gunshot wound to the chest was discovered a short time later. The victim was identified as 58yr old, William Clare Mealback, Jr. of Cypress Inn, TN but originally a resident of Detroit, MI.
Eye witnesses to the incident stated there appeared to be a struggle between at least two people inside the suspect vehicle. At some point during the struggle the victim was shot and thrown from the passenger side of the suspect vehicle. Due to the events stemming from the Officer involved shooting with a vehicle matching the suspect vehicle on Avalon Ave., the suspect was identified as 41yr old, Brian Lansing Martin of Sheffield, Alabama.
According to family members and friends of William Clare Mealback, Jr., Mealback and Martin have been close friends for approximately the past 5 years. Family members state that Mealback introduced Martin as a distant relative. Family and friends also state Mealback and Martin have bee roommates over the past year; splitting their time between an address in Cypress Inn, TN and Sheffield, AL. Detectives have also learned, through the family, that Mealback had a medical condition which causes seizures. This condition prevented Mealback from driving. Family members state that Martin normally drove the two when they were together, using Mealback’s vehicles when doing so.
At this time this is still an ongoing investigation and more charges for Brian Lansing Martin are pending on this incident as the Muscle Shoals Police Department and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency combine resources surrounding both events.
