DALE COUNTY – DALEVILLE: 06:14 AM Dale County Sheriff Deputies responded to 137 Lookout Drive in Daleville this morning. The subject ran inside the house and began barricading himself inside refusing to speak with Dale County Sheriff Deputies.
Dale County Sheriff Deputies established a perimeter around the residence. The subject inside began to board up the windows. Dale County Sheriff Mason Bynum responded to the scene. The subject made the WISE decision to peacefully surrender to law enforcement.
At this time it is unknown why law enforcement was at the residence or why the subject ran inside and began to barricade himself inside.
DOTHAN: 8:39 PM VIA TEXT RICKEY 334-790-1729 someone text me and asked why a lot of sirens tonight. And the following is the answer: THE HOT LIGHT WAS ON AT KRISPY KREME!!!! NO, that is not right!
6:48 PM Suicide Threats call
7:22 PM Medical Emergency on Dena Drive.
7:26 PM Medical Emergency Autumn Ridge Drive.
7:44 PM Medical Call 1100 block of Ross Clark Circle.
NEWTON: 8:01 PM Ozark – Dale County 911 dispatched a motor vehicle accident, 523 S. College Street in Newton. The information provided to Ozark – dale County 911, small dark vehicle rolled over. The scene was in front of the school.
Newton Police and Midland City Police rolled to the scene along with Ozark EMS.
On Arrival of Newton Police they reported one lane of traffic blocked. Everyone was out of the vehicle and reports no injuries. Midland City Police assisted with traffic ocontrol.
Newton Police is in charge of accident investigation.
DOTHAN: 8:25 PM Dothan 91 dispatched a structure fire at # 2 Danmor Place. Runs Between Choctaw Street and Cul De Sac. Reports of outlets sparking. It is dispatched as a structure fire and equipment rolled as a structure fiire until a units arrives on scene and givens an official report.
8:29 PM Dothan Fire Engine Company 10 ( West Main ) has arrived on the scene. A small residential structure, single story, nothing visible. All units go to Level 1 staging.
8:31 PM Dothan Fire Engine 10 reported only a sparking outlet. No fire. Engine 10 can handle and all units responding can return to service. And they did!
DOTHAN: RSN desires to clear up some rhetoric from FACEBOOK.
It seems a lot of comments when there is a murder case, anywhere in the wiregrass, people want to make comments that Dothan is getting bad, Dothan is getting like a little Chicago and more comments. And that is not true.
There was a murder in Enterprise. Not Dothan. No where near Dothan. And for the record Enterprise is not getting like Chicago. When there is a murder outside the city limits of Dothan and in the county, that is not in Dothan. And the county is not getting like Chicago.
In the corporate city limits of Dothan, in 2025, if my memory serves me correct, we have had 5 murders and 1 manslaughter case which resulted from a motor vehicle accident. ALL SOLVED.
While 1 murder is more than anyone or any law enforcement officers want, how are some of them prevented? One which happened in the city limits of Dothan but in Dale County, a jealous boyfriend killed his girlfriend. How can that be prevented? Can someone read that boyfriends mind? His co-workers said it was out of character for him.
All of the wiregrass law enforcement agencies do a god job of management of the citizens and guests in the community. A recent firearm assault in Dothan, in less than 27 minutes of the call hitting 911, Dothan Police had identified the suspect, who was not on the scene, located the suspect’s whereabout’s, and had the suspect in custody. THAT, my friend is good law enforcement! The number of on duty law enforcement officers has increased and they do all of the crime prevention possible. A lot of investment has been made of intelligence tools, of which I can not identify. These investments have been made to give the law enforcement officers the tools to prevent and to rapidly solve crime.
Recently in Dothan there was a man on Cottonwood Road who had bombs. There was a stand off with him. While multiple law enforcement officers were on the scene, to include Dothan Police Chief Will Benny, there was a call of a possible intruder at Dothan High School. Most do not know, but there were probably 40 Dothan Police Officers who had Dothan High School surrounded in literal minutes. The officers rushed to protect each and everyone’s children and staff. Two major incidents, both going on at the same time, and not one hiccup. Full manpower, on scene. No one hurt.
One Sunday, a shooting in Wiregrass Commons Mall. A self defense shooting which created a major response. No one was killed, but between Dothan Police, Houston County Sheriff Deputies, ALEA – Troopers, Ashford Police, Kinsey Police and others that mall was shut down and searched. The person shot lived and is now in jail for allegations he killed a Dothan man in Pike County. Not a shooting in Dothan, but in Pike County. And Pike County is not a little Chicago.
People on FACEBOOK are keyboard warriors. Some of those posting, they are not informed and they tell their friends, you post this and I will argue with you. And then make people the situation is different then what it really is. They are bored and just spouting off to get people fired up and they have no idea the facts.
All of our law enforcement do a great job in serving and protecting. Dothan Police Chief Will Benny and Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza and the area law enforcement stay on top of crime and work daily to provide the men and women who serve the tools to prevent crime and solve crime. The sad note is, there is not a good way to get statistics of the crime prevented only the crime that happens.
But rest assured, Dothan and Houston County are in no way a little Chicago, or even a little Montgomery Alabama or Birmingham Alabama. And the reason why, Will Benny and Donald Valenza have common sense. They realize it is a “we” thing. The Dothan Commission support Chief Will Benny and are proactive in crime prevention. Sometimes the Houston County Commission do not walk the same walk in supporting the Sheriff. But partially they do.
In closing, a couple of things about Dothan Police Chief Will Benny: he hates for someone to brag on him. If I write a article he will send a text RICHARD!!!! He has never ridden in the parade. When Dothan Commission was going to present him with his 30 or 35 year certificate, he said he was not coming to the commission meeting. He wants the men and women in the department to be recognized and not him. He goes to the daily briefings at times and sits with troops while the supervisor goes over the daily briefings. He is not one to say, look at me and what I have done. It is what “we” as a department has done.
Sheriff Valenza, when the SRT goes, he goes, When something happens, he goes. And he is about “we” and not “I”.
So we have good leadership, and in all surrounding communities and counties. So we are not a little Chicago. All inclusive – Dale, Henry, Pike, Coffee, Geneva County, of all agencies combined, municipal, county and state.
ABBEVILLE: — A heavy law enforcement response unfolded Monday morning after Abbeville Police officers responded to a call for service at a residence on Columbia Road.
According to authorities, on December 16 at approximately 9:38 a.m., Abbeville Police officers were dispatched to 214 Columbia Road. Upon arrival, officers made contact with a male subject who attempted to flee the residence while wearing a ski mask. When the suspect was unable to elude officers, he ran back inside the home.
Additional assistance was requested, and members of the Henry County Sheriff’s Office Patrol and Investigative Divisions, along with the Henry County SWAT Team, responded to the scene. A search warrant was obtained, and law enforcement later located the suspect hiding in the attic.
After repeated commands to surrender were ignored, a police K9 was deployed into the attic, leading to the suspect’s apprehension. No injuries were reported during the incident.
Authorities identified the suspect as George Miller Jr., 42, of Abbeville.
Officials say Miller had multiple outstanding warrants with Henry County. He is charged with:
Three counts of Possession of a Forged Instrument, 3rd Degree (bonds totaling $18,000)
Five counts of Fraudulent Use of a Credit/Debit Card (bonds totaling $30,000)
Attempting to Elude Law Enforcement
Felony Providing a False Name to Law Enforcement
Miller also has holds with Community Corrections, pending violations related to SORNA laws, and additional charges with the Abbeville Police Department.
He is currently being held in the Henry County Jail with no bond.
Due to the close proximity of the incident to Abbeville Elementary School, officials placed the school on lockdown as a precaution. Authorities later confirmed there was no direct threat to students or staff, and the lockdown was lifted once the scene was secured.
Henry County Sheriff Eric Blankenship praised the coordinated response among agencies and thanked the Dothan Police Department K9 team for assisting in the arrest. The Sheriff also stated he has requested the District Attorney’s Office file a motion to revoke Miller’s bond, citing concerns over repeat offenses.
No additional information has been released at this time.
