On the evening of February 17, 2022, 47-year-old Michael Freigang of Dothan, Alabama, was shot and later died at a hospital after an encounter with Dothan police near Montgomery Highway and Ross Clark Circle. The shooting occurred after a separate police chase had ended and officers had cordoned off the area; three teens in a stolen vehicle had already been arrested. Witnesses say Freigang’s pickup waited behind police vehicles and then tried to drive around the blockade. Officers reportedly yelled for him to stop; police say his truck struck one of their vehicles and drove toward other officers, and an officer fired three shots. The truck reportedly sideswiped the stolen vehicle and stopped in a ditch.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency handled the officer-involved shooting investigation. Freigang’s family said he had poor night vision and may have been confused by the scene, and they criticized the use of deadly force and the way they learned of his death. In October 2022 a Houston County grand jury reviewed the State Bureau of Investigation findings and declined to indict, and the case was closed. If anyone saw what happened that night or has relevant information, consider coming forward.