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Suspect Shot By Poarch Police Is Named As Charges Are Filed (With Photo Gallery)

The multi-county carjacking suspect shot Friday morning by Poarch Creek Police north of Atmore has been named as the first charges were filed against him.

Jose Rodriguez Xalate, of Hilltop, Minnesota, has been charged by the Greenville (AL) Police Department with two counts of first degree robbery and two counts of first degree theft. Xalate is expected to face additional charges from other Alabama jurisdictions, but at last report he remained hospitalized.

The shooting occurred Friday morning in the parking lot of the Creek Travel Plaza located at I-65 and Jack Springs Road, about a mile from the Poarch Creek Indian Reservation.

For a photo gallery, click here.

Xalate was shot by a Poarch Creek Tribal Police officer and transported to an area hospital for treatment. An update on the suspect’s condition has not been provided. No officers were injured.

According to Wetumpka (AL) Assistant Police Chief Earl Reeves, their first contact with Xalate was during suspicious persons call at 5:15 p.m. Thursday. Xalate told police officers he had just been discharged from a hospital and was waiting on a ride. Police said his story was verified, and he was told not to panhandle or harass anyone.

At 5:41 a man driving a Nissan Armada left his vehicle running as he went inside the Pace Car Gas Station in Wetumpka. Xalate allegedly jumped in and drove away with an assault rifle that had been left in the vehicle, according to AL.com.

The suspect took the Armada to Evergreen where it was discovered abandoned at 10:40 p.m. but the assault rifle was missing. He then reportedly then took another vehicle at gunpoint and drove to north to Greenville, Alabama.

Xalate then carjacked a vehicle at a gas station in Greenville near I-65, according to Greenville Police Chief Justin Lovvorn. He then carjacked another vehicle at a Murphy gas station at the Greenville Walmart, also near I-65.

Lovvorn said Greenville Police pinged the location of vehicle and discovered it was near Atmore. Poarch Creek Police located the vehicle in the Creek Travel Plaza parking lot, where Xalate attempted to run over the officer, according to Greenville Police. The Poarch officer then shot Xalate.

“After being approached by uniformed officers and marked patrol vehicles, an altercation ensued forcing officers to discharge their firearms,” Escambia County (AL) Sheriff Heath Jackson said.

A Chevrolet vehicle with the windows shot out was directly in front of the truck stop’s diner. Multiple shell casings could be seen in the parking lot, and about a dozen bullet holes were in the windows of the diner.

An assault-style rifle was removed from the scene by law enforcement.

Special agents with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) are investigating the officer involved shooting. SBI said the results of their investigation will be turned over to the Escambia County (AL) District Attorney’s Office for review.

The Creek Travel Plaza is owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, but is not located on the reservation.

NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.