The incident began at about 2:30 p.m. in Clanton at mile marker 212 on I-65. An unidentified St. Clair County deputy was escorting Ronald Stallworth, 45, back to St. Clair County after a capital murder court appearance in Chilton County, officials said.

Officers with the Prattville Police Department attempted to deploy spikes at the Cobbs Ford Road exit, but Stallworth dodged them, officials said.

The trooper injured in the incident, Sgt. James Patterson, was treated and released from Jackson Hospital for a gunshot wound to his hand. The St. Clair County deputy was treated for his injuries at Shelby Baptist Medical Center in Shelby County and later released.

Shortly after the gunfire erupted on the busy interstate, Stallworth lay slumped to his right in the driver's seat of the St. Clair County sheriff's squad car. He remained there until shortly after 4 p.m., when officials with the state Department of Forensic Sciences arrived to pick up his body.

Although the chase took place in the southbound lanes of I-65, the St. Clair County patrol car Stallworth drove ended up in the northbound lane of the interstate with its tires deflated. The front right window of the car had bullet holes.

"I was pumping gas at the Chevron when I heard all the sirens coming from the interstate," said Brad Singleton of Wiggins, Miss. "I left my truck and walked toward the interstate and saw the sheriff's car cross over the median into the northbound lane. It looked like his tires were deflated."

Singleton said soon after the patrol car came to a rest, he saw the officers get out of their car and then heard gunfire.

"It was very scary," he said. "I looked and saw him (Stallworth) shoot at the officers. That's when I hit the ground. I had to duck underneath someone's car."

Linda Kerry of Mobile was traveling home on the interstate when the chase overtook her in Autauga County.

"There were police cars everywhere. I didn't know what was going on," she said. "It looked liked something out of a movie. It was car after car passing me with their lights and sirens on."

Edward Kelly, a division traffic engineer for the Alabama Department of Transportation, said ALDOT crews were working along I-65 when he heard news of the chase on the radio.

"I went out to the work sites to tell them to get out of the way," said Kelly, who stood along the interstate phoning in details to the ALDOT office. "It looked like the chase was well over 120 mph. Then I heard they threw the spikes out. I've never seen anything like this."

Lt. Huey Thornton, spokesman for the Montgomery Police Department, said his department will take the lead in the investigation. He referred questions seeking details about the incident to the Department of Public Safety.

"In addition to the investigation, we had numerous officers respond to the incident and help with the traffic flow," Thornton said.

Traffic remained congested for several hours while onlookers hung out their windows with cell phones plastered to their faces, trying their best to get a glimpse of the incident. Airplanes and helicopters buzzed the sky.

A large crowd of onlookers also gathered along the fencing that borders both sides of the interstate.

"This is unreal," said Cadie Floyd of Montgomery. "I heard what happened and I had to come by and see it for myself. I am so glad that none of the officers were seriously injured."

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