As Hanceville Police officer Jason Hare continues to recover from life-threatening injuries he sustained in a late January on-duty accident during a chase for an escaped inmate, the department is hopeful he’ll be able to return to active duty soon.

Hare was airlifted to Birmingham following his Jan. 22 accident, after he suffered multiple cuts and fractures to his head and neck, as well as a broken scapula, a spinal injury, a torn meniscus, and multiple tears to connective tissue in his lower leg and foot.

The escapee Hare had been pursuing, 23 year-old Justin McCoy Booth of Odenville, was arrested in Jefferson County two days after the wreck. McCoy allegedly took advantage of officers’ distraction following a municipal court proceeding by blending in with inmates scheduled for release and walking away from the Hanceville jail, where he had been awaiting transfer to another jurisdiction on a felony hold.

In the ensuing chase, officer Hare was involved in a three-vehicle accident near the intersection of U.S. Highway 31 and Alabama Highway 91 that resulted in near-fatal injuries from which he continues to recover. Hare had only been with the Hanceville Police Department a short time, but had nearly two decades of experience in law enforcement.

Hanceville Police chief Bob Long said Hare, who spent 22 days at UAB Hospital before beginning outpatient therapy, could return to light duty within the next month, with his health care team’s approval.

Several officers with the Hanceville Police Department recently were recognized for their responsiveness to a number of emergencies and crimes in progress since the start of 2018, particularly on the night of Hare’s near-fatal accident. Long commended the six officers at a special presentation before the Hanceville City Council last week.

Long recognized deputy police chief Adam Hadder and Lt. Brannon Hammick for conducting a followup investigation that resulted, two days later, in Booth’s arrest, as well as the arrests of six more suspects with outstanding warrants.

Cpl. Kyle Duncan, who was off duty at the time of Hare’s accident, was commended for “recognizing the need for immediate assistance and the proactive initiative he took in responding to this accident.” Sgt. Rob Long also was commended for responding while off duty.

Officer Brad Jones, who was first at the scene, was commended for coordinating a response effort from the site of the wreck, where he “immediately informed dispatch, requested assistance and administered first aid to Officer Hare,” which, said Long, “may have prevented any further injury.”

In addition to the Hare incident, Sgt. Rob Long and officer Nathan Trimble were commended for their responses to other recent police calls.

Long was recognized for using first aid to save the life of an alleged domestic violence victim whose artery had been severed in a Feb. 16 stabbing. Long applied direct pressure to the wound to control the bleeding until the victim could be transported to a Birmingham-area trauma center, where the medical staff discovered that the victim had lost approximately 90 percent of their total blood volume.

Trimble was commended for running down and apprehending a suspect with outstanding warrants on March 21, in connection with a string of local vehicle break-ins. Chief Long recognized Trimble for pursuing the suspect on foot into a wooded area, making the arrest, and eliciting the suspect’s full confession to “nearly a dozen occurrences of breaking into vehicles.”

 

Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 145.