In the late afternoon of November 22, 2021, a dispute outside a Birmingham, Alabama auto dealership escalated into deadly violence, claiming the life of 44-year-old Matthew Alexander Gelpin. The incident occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m. in the 4300 block of Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard, at the location of Bates Auto Sales. An altercation between Gelpin and another man led to the fatal shooting.
Responding to a notification from the city's gunfire detection system, Birmingham police officers arrived to find Gelpin on the sidewalk suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite the efforts of Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service, he was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:58 p.m. The man involved in the altercation with Gelpin was detained by police for questioning.
Following an investigation by Birmingham Police Department detectives, the case was presented to the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office. After a review of the evidence, the shooting was deemed justifiable. Consequently, the district attorney's office declined to file criminal charges against the individual who shot Gelpin.
