12/12/21 Somerville, AL – Traffic Stop – Fled On Foot – Returns And Steals Officer’s Patrol Car – Found Patrol Car Abandoned – Suspect Escaped

A traffic stop led to a foot chase, the theft of a Somerville Police Department vehicle and a fruitless manhunt Saturday, but the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office says it’s confident it will pick up its suspect.

The MCSO posted Saturday on Facebook that a Somerville officer was making a traffic stop when the driver attempted to drive away, then fled his car on foot. He allegedly then stole the Somerville officer’s patrol car, which was found on Perkins Wood Road.

The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook that it was searching the area where the car was found for Tyler James Freeman, a white male in gray sweatpants and gray shirt, and did not believe him to be armed.

Some time later the MCSO updated its post to say: “We have called off the search. Warrants will be obtained for the subject. We will pick him up another day.”