Tuscaloosa Man Charged with Trying to Kill Co-Worker Friday

Police in Tuscaloosa have arrested a man who reportedly opened fire on his co-worker with a stolen handgun after an argument Friday afternoon.

Captain Jack Kennedy, the commander of the multi-agency Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, said officers were called to the 3200 Block of Stillman Boulevard on reports of a shooting around 3 p.m. Friday,

Witnesses said they had seen a man chasing another man along the roadside, and that the first man had fired several shots from a handgun at the second during the pursuit.

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Kennedy said Tuscaloosa Police apprehended the suspect quickly and eventually the victim returned to the scene.

The VCU was called out, and their investigators got to work interviewing witnesses and the men involved.

Kennedy said police believe the suspect, 41-year-old Dustin Jermaine Lavendar, and the victim were both contract employees working at a nearby business. Kennedy said the two men had a disagreement and got into a minor physical altercation before separating.

The victim began to walk away up Stillman Boulevard, and Lavendar allegedly retrieved a gun from his vehicle and began to chase after him. He fired several shots, but the second man was not struck.

Kennedy said Lavendar is a convicted felon and forbidden to own or carry a firearm, and the gun police retreived was also stolen. He was ultimately charged with Attempted Murder, Receiving Stolen Property, and illegally Possessing a Firearm.

The suspect was committed to the Tuscaloosa County Jail on a combined $90,000 cash bond.