Manhunt in Scottsboro Ends with Arrest
A nearly 20-hour manhunt in Scottsboro concluded on Saturday night with the arrest of 29-year-old Daniel Victor McCarn.
The situation unfolded on Saturday, July 26th, around 1 a.m., when the Scottsboro Police responded to a domestic violence call on Ruth Street. According to various reports, McCarn fled the scene in a vehicle, prompting a police pursuit that ended in a crash at the junction of Highway 72 and County Park Road.
After crashing, McCarn exited the vehicle and allegedly fired at responding officers, even attacking one official from the Scottsboro Police Department. The officer, named Derek, is currently receiving treatment at Huntsville Hospital for injuries that are said to be non-life-threatening.
“He’s okay,” Derek’s colleague, Durham, shared on Saturday night. “Necessary procedures were followed, but thankfully the injuries aren’t serious, and he’s on the mend.”
The officer with 29 years of service was shot in the left hand.
Following the shooting, McCarn fled on foot, leading to a manhunt that lasted from morning through evening. By around 12:15 p.m., the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) issued a blue alert, warning residents that McCarn was armed, dangerous, and likely still near the crash site.
ALEA described McCarn as standing 5’10”, weighing 170 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Residents were advised to avoid the area and to contact 911 if they had any information about his location.
Numerous law enforcement agencies joined efforts to capture McCarn, including the Jackson, Madison, and DeKalb Sheriff’s Offices, the Madison and Marshall County SWAT Teams, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshals among others. At one point, there were six to eight drones in operation.
“We deployed the drones and conducted searches on foot. We identified a thermal signature near the railway tracks,” an SPD official reported during a press update. “The drones helped us to locate McCarn, and a team of officers was able to detain him without further incident.”
The drone equipped with thermal imaging technology assisted in pinpointing McCarn’s location as he hid near the railroad close to Old Larkinsville Road. Officers quickly surrounded him and arrested McCarn without additional conflict.
Residents within the vicinity were instructed to remain indoors throughout the day. Cynthia Smith, a longtime resident of Scottsboro, expressed her surprise seeing officers on the street but ultimately felt secure because of their presence. She mentioned locking her doors at 5 a.m. on Saturday and not reopening them until Sunday morning.
McCarn has been charged with attempted murder and booked into the Jackson County Jail, where a bond of $10 million was set on Monday. Notably, he has no significant criminal history in Alabama, aside from a couple of minor traffic offenses.
The Alabama Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is now overseeing inquiries into the officer-involved shooting as well as the original domestic violence claims. ALEA and associated agencies will continue to monitor the situations and release updates as necessary.
