January 15, 2004

Prattville Officer Killed: Trust Fund Established

WSFA - Channel 12
Montgomery, Alabama, United States

Prattville, Alabama, United States - A memorial fund has been set up for Prattville Police Officer Clint Walker. He was accidentally shot in a training exercise on Wednesday and died in a Montgomery hospital last night. 26-year-old Clinton Earl Walker, a three-year veteran, was pronounced dead shortly before 6:30 p.m.

Wetumpka Police Chief William Pertree would not identify the officer who fired the shot. The shooting occurred Wednesday morning about 10:30 a.m. at the old Wetumpka post office. The building is used by law enforcement agencies to conduct weapons training.

Prattville Police Captain Albert Wadsworth said an internal investigation is underway. He would not comment on whether the unnamed officer will face disciplinary action.

Contributions can be made at any Comala Credit Union location in Montgomery or Prattville. Funeral arrangements for Walker, who is the first Prattville policeman to die in the line of duty, are incomplete.

January 15, 2004

Attorney General Asked to Investigate Officer's Death

WSFA - Channel 12
Montgomery, Alabama, United States

Prattville, Alabama, United States - The investigation into that fatal police shooting in Prattville is now in motion

Elmore County District Attorney Randall Houston is asking Attorney General Bill Pryor to take over the investigation. Houston says he did this because he's too close to the situation and knew the men involved too well.

WSFA has learned that it was Prattville police Lieutenant Danny Jones who shot and killed his friend and fellow officer Clint Walker during a training exercise in Wetumpka. We're told Lieutenant Jones is not doing well.

There are so many versions of events, so many stories as to what may have happened on Wednesday. We do know that this involves two men and a live weapon and Thursday some of those facts began to emerge. It clearly was something that should not have happened. Sources with knowledge of the investigation tell WSFA the incident occurred during a break from their training.

There were about 10 cops participating in their training. Sources tell WSFA Lieutenant Danny Jones left the group to retrieve his live weapon because his real gun was in a vehicle that was about to leave to return to the Prattville Police Department. Jones at that point put his 9mm semi-automatic pistol in his back pocket. In Jones' other back pocket was the dummy gun.

What remains unclear is what happened next. One story floating around is that both men were playing quick draw. Jones won the draw and accidentally pulled his live weapon and shot Officer Walker.

On Thursday, the Prattville police chief did not want to talk about that part of the investigation. Whatever the truth, city officials have said all along this was a tragic accident nothing intentional.

One sad irony is that Lieutenant Danny Jones was the safety officer in that training program on Wednesday.

Funeral services for Officer Walker will take place this weekend. The funeral will be Saturday at Camellia Baptist Church in Prattville at 1:00 p.m. A burial will follow in the Greenwood Cemetery in Montgomery. Visitation will be this Friday evening from 5:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Camellia Baptist Church.

ITEMS Members,

Officer Clint Walker is survived by his wife and was aspiring to be a member of his department's tactical team. The incident that resulted in his death was not special weapons and tactics - related.

Here is the specific information on the memorial fund:

The Clint Walker Memorial Fund
c/o Prattville Police Department
101 West Main Street
Prattville, Alabama, United States 36067

Captain Albert Wadsworth
Office: (334) 361-3656
E-mail: police@prattville.com