In the late hours of February 4, 2020, a White male named Nick O'Rear, a 33-year-old police officer, was tragically killed in the line of duty. The incident began when a Warrior Police Department officer attempted to pull over a vehicle for erratic driving on Interstate 65. The driver of the black BMW, later identified as Preston Johnson, refused to stop, initiating a police pursuit. Officer O'Rear, with the Kimberly Police Department, responded to assist in the chase.
As the pursuit continued near Old U.S. Highway 31, Johnson opened fire on the pursuing officers. A single shot struck Officer O'Rear in the head, causing his patrol vehicle to crash. He was rushed to UAB Hospital for emergency medical treatment but succumbed to his injuries in the early morning hours of February 5, 2020. At the time of his death, O'Rear was a father of two with a third child on the way. He had been with the Kimberly Police Department for one year.
Following the shooting, a statewide Blue Alert was issued for the suspect. Preston Chyenne Johnson was apprehended the next day. He was subsequently charged with the capital murder of a police officer. Investigators found an AK-47 rifle and a handgun near the location where Johnson abandoned his vehicle. In June 2022, to avoid the death penalty, Johnson pleaded guilty to intentional murder. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison, a term to be served after he completes a 16-year federal sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
