Updated October 22, 2018

Limestone County deputies report that the suspect who stole a vehicle and fired gunshots at deputies attempting to stop him is now in custody.

The suspect, 25-year-old Ronnie Parker, of Leighton, has been charged with five counts of attempted murder, two counts of kidnapping, one count of arson, one count of shooting into an occupied vehicle, and one count of theft.

The Limestone County Sheriff’s Office reported that about 6:00am deputies responded to a report of a stolen truck on Piney Chapel Road. They located the truck and attempted a traffic stop, but the driver led them on a pursuit.

During the pursuit, the driver backed into a patrol unit and then fired gunshots at the deputies, who returned fire. The suspect fled the scene, but the truck was later found abandoned in a wooded area off of Alabama 127 north of Athens.

Deputies say that Parker then forced himself into a home on Sewell Road before setting it on fire. The home was a total loss.

The case remains under investigation.