City council reverses firing of Alabama officer involved in chase that led to deadly crash

PRICEVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The Priceville City Council reversed the firing of a police officer who was involved in a chase that led to a deadly crash in September.

Most of the appeal hearing on Monday night took place behind closed doors, as the city council went into an executive session. About two and a half hours later, the city council came back and voted unanimously to repeal the firing of Garry Chapman and give him a 10-day suspension without pay. Priceville Mayor Sam Heflin recused himself from the vote.

Heflin and Police Chief Jerry Holmes met with Chapman on September 19 for a hearing. During that hearing, Heflin determined Chapman had violated the department’s chase policy.

According to his personnel file, Chapman was hired by the department on January 28, 2025, and fired on September 22, 2025. On the day of his firing, he sent an appeal to Mayor Heflin, which led to the hearing on Monday, where Chapman was ultimately reinstated.

Chapman’s attorney Scott Morro told News 19’s Kayla Smith that ahead of tonight’s decision they had filed a $10 million claim for wrongful termination against the city, but now that Chapman has been reinstated, he said they will not pursue that claim further.

The officer was involved in a police chase that ended in a deadly crash in Hartselle. The chase ended in a crash when Archie Hale, the suspect Chapman was chasing, hit another vehicle carrying 17-year-old Tristan Hollis and three other teenagers. Hollis died in the crash, and the three others were taken to the hospital.

On September 6, Chapman started the chase on I-65 in Priceville because he believed Hale was driving under the influence. He turned on his lights and sirens and notified dispatch. The certification of findings said Hale ran a stop sign at the intersection of the interstate and Highway 36 and almost hit another car. He also temporarily drove off the road.

Chapman continued chasing Hale into downtown Hartselle on Highway 36, with speeds at one point reaching 100 miles per hour. The department specifically highlights this part of the chase as in violation of the department’s policy, saying Chapman should have re-evaluated whether the chase should continue.

That policy said officers are responsible for making sure people in the area of the chase are safe. In the hearing, Heflin found that Chapman did not consider how much traffic was in the area. Chapman also told the department he was not familiar with that part of Hartselle, which should have been a reason to stop the chase, according to department policy.

In the past three years, Chapman has worked with six law enforcement agencies across North Alabama, the Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Ider Police Department, Sylvania Police Department and Guntersville Police Department.

Since he started with Priceville Police, Chapman has received two written reprimands: one for administrative errors and the other had to do with words he exchanged with another officer over the radio. The second reprimand mentions that Chapman has a history of speeding.

Through an investigation of Chapman’s social media, News 19 has learned that Chapman is the son of Duane Chapman, also known as Dog the Bounty Hunter. Chapman has also previously been featured on the Priceville Police Department’s social media as recently as April.

Hale, the suspect Chapman was chasing, is charged with reckless murder. He is being held in the Morgan County Jail without bond.