Drivers Have Memorial Day Gunfight in Cottondale, No One Hurt

Fortunately, no one was injured when two men shot at one another during a Memorial Day gunfight this Monday afternoon in a residential part of Cottondale.

According to court documents filed on Tuesday, the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office sent deputies to Crestfield Drive in Cottondale on reports of gunshots in the area.

Deputies reportedly found two local men who'd been driving trucks on that street just before 1 p.m. on Monday before they allegedly shot at one another. One of the trucks had a bullet hole in the front grill.

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Both Men Claim Self-Defense

Both men were taken to the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit headquarters for interviews. There, the driver of the truck that was shot claimed the second man had stopped in the middle of the road, gotten out of his vehicle with a firearm, and shot at him.

The second man, 66-year-old Michael Dennis Manning, told investigators that he was acting in self-defense, that the other driver shot at him first, and he only returned fire with his own gun.

According to the court documents, there were witnesses to the incident who said Manning did indeed stop his truck and got out with a gun before the two drivers exchanged fire.

They did not hit one another or anyone else living on the street and the only damage reported was the bullet defect to the truck.

Investigators also determined Manning was using a firearm that had been stolen out of Jefferson County.

Ultimately, Manning was arrested and charged with discharging a gun into an occupied vehicle and second-degree receiving stolen property for having the missing firearm.

He was placed in the Tuscaloosa County Jail and has been released on bond.

For more coverage of crime & courts and other news in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.