Warrior Police Chief talks impact officer involved shootings can have on the entire department

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - The Bibb County Sheriff’s department will be dealing with the emotional aftermath of the June 29th shooting that killed Deputy Brad Johnson and injured Deputy Chris Poole for months to come.

WBRC first told viewers of Warrior Police Officer Lee Glenn back in October 2021. He’s a Warrior police detective who was shot three times in the chest during a drug bust. He lived, but the Warrior Police Chief said Glenn and the department are still working through the lasting effects.

Chief Scott Praytor said that Officer Glenn is still with the department, but on leave right now because he just had another surgery last week to correct injuries from the shooting. He even had multiple bullets still inside him, near his heart Praytor said.

Praytor said it shocks departments when officers are shot in the line of duty, even though its something they know can happen.

“When it happens to an officer, it really drives the fact home that we face this everyday,” he said. “They all know it is a reality everyday. But, it still shocks you when it happens.”

He said when it happens to one of your own, it’s something you never get over.

“You never really get over it and you always have to be there to support each other,” he said. “We try and learn from these instances to try and keep it from happening again but unfortunately in society right now it keeps happening over and over. It’s really tough on the department and I don’t think that you ever heal. We have very good peer support groups to talk to, but we have to look out for the families. The department is hurting and the families are hurting of the officers.”

Praytor said their hearts are with the Bibb County Sheriff’s department and said that Deputy Brad Johnson will never be forgotten.

“He will always be remembered by people that knew him,” Praytor said. “And by people that didn’t know him, because of the job he did.”

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