Robert Earl Jackson

In Chilton County, Alabama, on August 31, 2020, a sequence of events tragically culminated in the death of 54-year-old Robert Earl Jackson. A Black man from Thorsby, Jackson was killed in an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement officers. The incident began around 12:30 p.m. when Thorsby police attempted to pull over Jackson for a traffic violation after he reportedly failed to yield at a stop sign, nearly causing an accident.

As officers approached his vehicle on Montgomery Avenue, Jackson allegedly produced a handgun and fired at them without any prior verbal exchange. This initiated a pursuit, with Jackson fleeing on foot through a construction area and into a nearby wooded area, intermittently firing his weapon at the pursuing officers. The Chilton County Sheriff's Office's Tactical Response Unit and a K-9 unit were called in to assist in the search for Jackson.

The K-9, named Missile, located Jackson concealed behind a fallen tree. Upon being discovered, Jackson shot the K-9 in the torso and once again fired at the deputies. The officers returned fire, fatally wounding Jackson. Despite receiving immediate medical attention at the scene, he succumbed to his injuries. The police dog, Missile, was taken to a veterinary clinic and was expected to make a full recovery.

Authorities later revealed that Jackson had an extensive criminal record, which included felony convictions for attempted murder, robbery, and drug-related offenses. At the time of the fatal encounter, he was out on bond for charges including possession of cocaine and methamphetamine, being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, and resisting arrest. The handgun he used in the confrontation had been reported stolen in June 2020. The Chilton County Sheriff's Office stated that a preliminary review of evidence and witness statements indicated the officers' actions were in accordance with departmental policy and Alabama law. The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation was also called in to conduct an independent review of the shooting. Jackson's son, Jermale Phillips, contested the official narrative, claiming that his father had been targeted and 'beat up' by authorities two weeks prior to the shooting, a claim the sheriff's office denied.