Mentone man, 52, accused of firing shots at DeKalb County deputy

DEKALB COUNTY, Alabama -- A Mentone man has been arrested on charges he fired shots at a DeKalb County sheriff's deputy late Wednesday night, authorities said.

Carl B. Jones II, 52, is charged with attempted murder, unlawful possession of controlled substance, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and receiving stolen property.{}

According to the sheriff's office, deputies responded to a report of a man shooting a gun near a home on Alabama 117 around 11:38 p.m. Upon arriving, a deputy exited his cruiser and immediately began taking fire. Two rounds hit the cruiser and a third went over the windshield, hitting a tree.

The deputy proceeded to return fire while backing out of the scene as additional members of law enforcement, including officers from Mentone, Fort Payne, Henagar, Ider, Sylvania, as well as Alabama State Troopers, arrived to assist. After securing the scene, the suspect -- who was later identified as Jones -- reportedly went inside his residence and refused to communicate with authorities.{}{}

A short time later, a DeKalb County sheriff's swat team approached the suspect's home after noticing movement inside. The suspect then exited the house through a back door, where authorities took him into custody after a "brief struggle."{}{}

"This call is a prime example of how dangerous it is out there," DeKalb County Sheriff Jimmy Harris said. "This deputy was careful in his approach to the scene but still almost got shot. I appreciate all the other officers who came to assist in this call."

According to a release, Jones was wound with a large tactical knife and a .38 revolver in his coat pocket. Authorities secured the home and later found several additional weapons and evidence of apparent drug activity.

After obtaining a search warrant, drug task force agents canvassed the premises and found a total of 13 firearms, meth, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.{}

Jones was eventually booked into the county detention center. Bond information wasn't immediately made available.

"Our officers did a great job of taking Mr. Jones into custody without serious injury," Harris said. "This could have ended much worse. Any time you have drugs and firearms it is very dangerous for everyone involved. I'm glad this ended the way we wanted it to."