Published: October 2, 2021


A SHEFFIELD POLICE OFFICER HAS SUCUMBED TO HIS INJURIES FOLLOWING A PURSUIT FRIDAY AFTERNOON IN MUSCLE SHOALS. OFFICERS WITH THE MUSCLE SHOALS POLICE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO A REPORT OF A PEDESTRIAN POSSIBLY BEING STRUCK BY A VEHICLE IN THE 800 BLOCK OF AVALON AVENUE AROUND 1:44 PM. UPON ARRIVAL, EMERGENCY PERSONNEL FOUND THE VICTIM, WILLIAM CLARE MEALBACK, JR OF CYPRESS INN, WITH A GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE HEAD. WITNESSES ADVISED THERE APPEARED TO BE A STRUGGLE BETWEEN MEALBACK AND ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL PRIOR TO THE SHOTS BEING FIRED AND MEALBACK BEING THROWN OUT OF A VEHICLE. THE SUSPECT LATER IDENTIFIED AS BRIAN LANSING MARTIN, 41, OF SHEFFIELD, LEFT THE SCENE AND STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE. A VEHICLE DESCRIPTION WAS OBTAINED AND REGISTRATION WAS FOUND TO BELONG TO MEALBACK. A BE ON THE LOOK OUT WAS ISSUED AND MARTIN WAS LOCATED SHORTLY AFTER BY SHEFFIELD OFFICERS. A PURSUIT ENSUED AND ENDED WHEN OFFICERS PERFORMED A PIT MANEUVER BEHIND THE OLD SOUTH GATE  MALL BEFORE ENTERING THE WALMART PARKING LOT. MARTIN BEGAN SHOOTING AT THE OFFICERS AT WHICH TIME THEY RETURNED FIRE. TWO SHEFFIELD OFFICERS WERE HIT AND WERE TRANSPORTED BY EMS. SGT. NICK RISNER, WHO HAD BEEN WITH THE SHEFFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR OVER 8 YEARS DIED SATURDAY MORNING. IN A PRESS RELEASE, THE DEPARTMENT PRAISED RISNER FOR HIS HEROIC ACT OF PROTECTING THE SHOAL'S COMMUNITY FROM THE SHOOTER ON FRIDAY AND ADVISED HIS LEGACY AND MEMORY WILL BE WITH THE SHEFFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE SHEFFIELD COMMUNITY FOREVER.  THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.