FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
October 29, 2013
For More Information, contact:
Luther Strange
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Alabama Attorney General
Claire Haynes (334) 242-7351
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AG HOLDS 14th ANNUAL LAW ENFORCEMENT SUMMIT
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Luther Strange today presented the 14th
annual Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Summit, carrying on a tradition that was
begun in 2000 by former Attorney General Bill Pryor. This year’s theme was “Dealing
with the Mentally Ill and Emotionally Disturbed: A Law Enforcement Perspective.”
More than 650 law enforcement officers from throughout Alabama were registered to
attend, receiving practical information and professional training with a primary focus
how to properly handle encounters and conflicts involving people of diminished
capacity due to emotional or mental disturbances. The 2013 summit was held in
Montgomery at Frazer United Methodist Church.
Attorney General Strange welcomed law enforcement officers and discussed the
event’s theme. “Every community can expect its law enforcement officers to encounter
persons with diminished capacities, whether from intoxication, drug abuse, emotional
distress or mental illness,” he said. “For any number of reasons, law enforcement
officers are increasingly the ones responding to people who are in crisis. Unfortunately,
the outcome of these incidents is often frustrating and tragic.” Through the specialized
training and sharing of experiences provided by instructors at the conference, he added,
“it is my hope that you will have a greater understanding of the challenges law
enforcement is facing and gain practical information for determination the best course
of action to deal with these incidents.”
This year’s conference featured a series of presentations from experts that
included the following: “Dealing with the Mentally Ill and Emotionally Disturbed,”
from Lt. Jon Garlick, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office; “Lessons Learned: Baldwin
County Line-of-Death Duty,” from Baldwin County Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack;
“Firearms and the Mentally Ill,” from Alabama Office of Prosecution Services General
Counsel Beau Brown; “Lessons Learned: Midland City Hostage Crisis,” from Dale
County Sheriff Wally Olson, and a general overview of related legal issues from James
H. Pike, an attorney with Shealy, Crum & Pike. Attorney General Strange thanked
those who provided valuable information in these presentations, as well as his Law
Enforcement Coordinator, Louis Zook, and all staff members of the Attorney General’s
Office who provided valuable assistance.

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A somber highlight of the day came with the commemoration of fallen officers
who lost their lives in the line of duty during the past year. The Attorney General
recognized the sacrifices of the following officers with the presentation of memorial
flags and certificates of honor:
Investigator Michael Dale Stockwell, 45, of the Orange Beach Police
Department, died on September 17, 2013. “Investigator Mike Stockwell was killed in a
two-vehicle crashÖ His unmarked department vehicle collided with another vehicle in
the intersection. He succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The driver of the other
vehicle was uninjured. Investigator Stockwell had served in law enforcement for 20
years.”*
Deputy Sheriff Scott Jeffrey Ward, 47, of the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office,
died on November 23, 2012. “Deputy Sheriff Scott Ward was shot and killed after he
and two other deputies responded to a domestic disturbance call involving an
emotionally disturbed personÖ.The deputies were speaking to the subject on the front
porch when he suddenly produced a handgun and opened fire. Deputy Ward and one
other deputy were shot before the subject was killed by return fireÖ. Deputy Ward was
a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. He had served with the Baldwin County
Sheriff’s Office for 15 years and had previously served with the Prichard Police
Department.”*
Attorney General Strange thanked the officers in attendance today, and
expressed appreciation to their fellow officers in communities throughout Alabama. “I
am grateful and proud of the bravery and unselfish dedication that law enforcement
officers give to people of Alabama in their service to us each day,” he said. “It is my
hope that this summit has provided valuable instruction and shared information that
you will take back to your communities and that it may be of assistance as you carry out
your noble task of protecting the people of Alabama.”

*Note: Information about the deaths of Investigator Stockwell and Deputy Ward is from the Officer Down Memorial
Page at http://www.odmp.org/.

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