From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM – An off duty Birmingham police officer remains in critical condition after being shot multiple times while responding to a robbery early Sunday morning.
The officer, narcotics Det. John Finke, was off duty and working at the Church of the Highlands when he responded to a robbery nearby in the 5400 block of Georgia Road in the Woodlawn neighborhood at around 9:30 a.m. The location is south of Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Airport.
Finke was shot twice in the stomach and in the arm. He was not wearing a protective vest. He was then transported to UAB Hospital where he has undergone one surgery and is currently in the ICU. He is listed as in critical condition.
The U.S. Marshals, the SBI, the ATF, SWAT and K9 units all reported to the scene following the shooting.
Two suspects were taken into custody in Ensley hours after the shooting following the multi-agency manhunt. One suspect is reported to be 16 years old and the other is listed as 25 years old. The Birmingham Police Department believe that the 16-year-old was the shooter.
The victims of the robbery were able to identify the suspects after the cell phones that were stolen during the robbery tracked the suspects to a Winn-Dixie on Bessemer Road in Ensley. After apprehending the suspects, police recovered a handgun that is alleged to have been used in the shooting.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation is investigating.
Officer Involved shooting update pic.twitter.com/1HkxjNXKq7
— Birmingham Police (@BhamPolice) January 26, 2020
