Northport, Alabama Man Charged With Assault for October Shooting

A Northport man has been charged with second-degree assault after a late October shooting that injured another man.

According to court documents filed Tuesday, the shooting took place on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 26th, in northern Tuscaloosa on Shadyhill Road.

Investigators said on that day, dispatchers received a call from the emergency room at DCH Northport Medical Center after a patient suffering from a gunshot wound drove himself to the hospital.

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The victim was then taken by ambulance from the Northport facility to DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, where police were able to interview him about his injuries.

According to the deposition filed earlier this week, the victim and another person were standing outside a residence on Shadyhill Road just off Watermelon Road when another man, 36-year-old Michael Eatmon, drove by in a vehicle.

The victim said Eatmon circled around, parked his car on the side of the road and walked up to the two men standing outside the house.

Eatmon allegedly got within arm's length of the victim, drew a handgun and shot him one time. The suspect then reportedly ran back to his vehicle, firing more shots as he ran away, but the victim was able to run behind a vehicle parked on the property and take cover until the shooting stopped.

A witness in the area verified the story to investigators and said they saw Eatmon park his car, walk up to the victim and shoot him one time.

Police caught up with Eatmon nearly three weeks after the shooting and arrested him this Monday, November 15th. He was formally charged with second-degree assault, a Class C felony, and booked in the Tuscaloosa County Jail, where he has since been released on a $15,000 bond.

This isn't the first time Eatmon has been tied to a violent crime -- WBRC Fox 6 reported that in 2012, he was charged with attempted murder after exchanging shotgun fire with another man who was reportedly involved with Eatmon's ex-girlfriend.

Those charges were ultimately dismissed in 2014 as part of a broader plea deal Eatmon made after spending almost two years in jail.