Local News
Couple who allegedly shot cop indicted
By Patrick McCreless
STAFF WRITER
A grand jury recently indicted a Georgia couple allegedly involved in the shooting of a Cullman police officer and robbery of a local service station in February.
Cullman County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Chad Scott Mercer, 31 Wednesday on three grand jury indictments for attempted murder and one indictment for robbery in the first degree.
His wife Misty Nicole Mercer, 29, was also arrested on three grand jury indictments for attempted murder as well as one for assault in the second degree.
Cullman police arrested the couple on the same charges in early February.
“This is just part of the legal process,” Cullman Assistant District Attorney John Bryant said of the indictments. ‘The grand jury looks to whether to go forward on every case.”
Bryant said he did not know yet if the Mercers would be tried separately or as co-defendants.
“We haven’t made a decision on if we’re going to combine them,” Bryant said.
Bryant added that he did not know when their trials would be held but hoped they would take place some time this year.
“It will be a very important priority case due to the violence involved,” he said.
According to police reports, Officer Roy Bates, 35, was struck in the face by a stray shotgun pellet allegedly fired by one of the Mercers after a high-speed chase. Bates was not seriously injured.
Reports indicate the Mercers allegedly robbed the BP service station on Alabama Highway 157 near Interstate 65 at gunpoint on Feb. 3. Cullman officers Bates, Jeremy Hudson and Chris Thomason quickly responded to the scene. Thomason attempted to pull the suspects’ truck over for a traffic stop in Dodge City, but it sped away.
The Mercers then allegedly led officers on a high-speed chase down Interstate 65 that topped 100 mph at certain times. At one point, one of the suspects fired shots at Thomason’s vehicle.
The suspect vehicle stopped abruptly around Highway 291. Bates, who was the passenger in the police car Hudson was driving, opened his car door, stepped outside and drew his weapon, at which point he was shot.
In the course of the shoot-out, three rounds struck the suspects’ truck when Cullman officers returned fire, but no one in the truck was hit.
The police pursuit then continued south on Interstate 65 and soon involved several other law enforcement agencies. The suspect vehicle was immobilized by police spike strips in Gardendale and the Mercers gave up without further resistance.
Both Mercers are incarcerated at the Cullman County Detention Center.
‰ Patrick McCreless can be reached by e-mail at patrickm@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131 ext. 270.
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