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Florida man dies in standoff with Alabama police

Posted at 5:23 PM, Oct 07, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-07 20:33:29-04

UPDATE -- KILLEN, Ala. (AP) - Authorities say a Florida man was fatally shot in an exchange of gunfire with police after he holed up in a northwest Alabama motel when authorities tried to serve him with a warrant.

Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton tells Al.com (http://bit.ly/2dGbcyA) that 42-year-old Eddie Collins of Lee County, Florida, died Friday after he opened fire on Florence police and officers returned shots.

Singleton says Venita Keen, who was barricaded in the room with Collins, was also killed. He says investigators are still determining whether police or Collins shot Keen but there is a "strong possibility he shot her."

The standoff began early Thursday when deputies went to a Super 8 Motel in Killen to serve Collins with the Florida warrant for five counts of failure to appear in court.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

 

KILLEN, Ala. (AP) - Authorities have identified a man holding police in a standoff at a motel in northwest Alabama for more than 24 hours.

Florence police Chief Ron Tyler told The Times Daily (http://bit.ly/2dZa2la ) the situation remained dangerous Friday. Authorities identified the man as 42-year-old Eddie Collins of Lee County, Florida.

The standoff began around 6 a.m. Thursday when U.S. marshals and Lauderdale County sheriff's deputies went to a Super 8 Motel in Killen to serve Collins with a Florida warrant for five counts of failure to appear.

Authorities said someone shot through the door and then fired several times while trying to escape. Authorities said deputies returned fire.

Local media report authorities negotiated through the night to get the man to surrender. The power has been cut to the motel room.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)