Investigators ID Hale County Man Killed in Gunfight with Deputies

Investigators in Tuscaloosa have released the identity of a 38-year-old Hale County man who died Wednesday morning in a gunfight with a Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's deputy after a multi-county chase.

Captain Marty Sellers, who works for the Tuscaloosa Police Department and is the co-commander of the Violent Crimes Unit, said the deceased is Matthew Matherson, a 38-year-old white man who lived in Hale County.

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Sellers said the deadly gunfight was initiated after a police pursuit that started in Hale County and crossed into Tuscaloosa County, speeding through the city of Tuscaloosa and into Northport, pulling in local law enforcement officers from multiple agencies.

TCSO deputies were notified of the chase at about 2:23 a.m. and positioned themselves to provide assistance and stop the fleeing vehicle.

Sellers said Matherson pulled into a business at the intersection of 5th Street and Bridge Avenue in Northport, and as he exited the vehicle, he opened fire on law enforcement officers.

A TCSO deputy returned fire and killed Matherson.

"Mr. Matherson has a violent past and has been arrested by Hale County and Tuscaloosa County law enforcement," Sellers said. "At this time evidence suggests that the shooting of the suspect was justified. As is typical in these cases, the evidence will be presented to a Tuscaloosa County Grand Jury."

The case will be handled by VCU investigators and supervisors who do not work for TCSO, which is standard practice for officer-involved shootings in the county.

For updates on the case and coverage from a press conference on the shooting on Wednesday afternoon, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.