Law enforcement officers across Alabama are still grieving after the recent shooting deaths of a police officer in Birmingham and another in Mobile.

Sgt. Wytasha “Wyt” Carter, 44, was laid to rest Monday at Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham. Carter, a 16-year law enforcement veteran, and another officer, 27-year-old Lucas Allums, were both shot Jan. 13 while responding to a report of car break-ins.

Carter sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Allums was released from UAB Hospital Tuesday.

Nearly a week later, Mobile Police Officer Sean Tuder, 30, was shot and killed. Mobile Police Chief Lawrence Battiste said Tuder died during a struggle with 19-year-old Marco Antonio Perez, who is being held on a capital murder charge in the shooting.

Battiste said the 30-year-old Tuder was alone and was not wearing a bulletproof vest. The officer was undercover and trying to apprehend Perez in a series of breaking-and-entering cases.

Funeral services for Tuder were Friday in Mobile. His murder represented the fifth officer death in 2019.

The feeling of losing a fellow officer is all too real for Athens Police Chief Floyd Johnson. Jan. 2 marked the 15th anniversary of the shooting deaths of Athens Police Sgt. Larry Russell, 42, and Officer Tony Mims, 40.

Johnson said when an officer dies in the line of duty, it has a big impact on his department.

“Because it has happened here, it affects us,” he said. “There’s a sense of reality and we know the feelings and emotions of other departments. It’s different when you’ve had it happen.”

Johnson said Athens police officers attended the funeral for Carter, and at least one was supposed to travel to Mobile for Tuder’s funeral. His officers also wore mourning bands over their badges, as did deputies with the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office.

Show of support

The deaths of the officers resulted in a large outpouring of public support for the Birmingham and Mobile police departments. Throngs of supporters lined the street as Carter’s body was transported through downtown Birmingham to the cemetery. The same happened Friday in Mobile as Tuder’s remains were transported from Dauphin Way Baptist Church to Mobile Memorial Gardens.

Limestone County Sheriff’s Office deputy and spokesman Stephen Young said public support is important to law enforcement agencies, no matter what the circumstances may be. He said the Sheriff’s Office was fortunate enough to have community members who regularly express their appreciation.

“Deputies are regularly approached by citizens who thank them for their service,” he said. “Individuals and local companies frequently deliver food and cards expressing their support. It really makes a difference.”

Dangerous duty

One hundred and fifty officers died in the line of duty in 2018, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. Of those, 52 died in gunfire-related deaths, while 26 were killed in vehicle crashes.

Johnson said Carter and Tuder died doing what he would consider routine police work. Carter and Allums were investigating car break-ins, something Athens police do on a regular basis. Tuder was attempting to arrest a theft suspect, which Johnson said was another normally routine task.

Johnson said he’s afraid increased oversight may be causing more officers to second-guess decisions. Doing so, he said, could have dangerous consequences.

“There are administrators, attorneys and judges who may look at something for years, when we only have seconds to make a decision,” he said. “When you’re a younger officer, and you go into a situation, you don’t always have time to call a supervisor. I’ve been doing this a long time, and sometimes the gut feeling is the best instinct.”