Three Alabama police officers were shot last week, one during a mental health check in Columbiana. All are expected to survive.
Calera Police Chief David Hyche said calls involving mental health crises, traffic stops, and domestic situations can escalate quickly, and officers are often left responding without adequate resources.
“These three incidents really hit home. When you’re dealing with people in a mental health crisis, it can be extremely dangerous for everyone involved,” Hyche said.
Hyche added that Alabama lacks inpatient facilities for people with serious mental health needs, leaving officers as the first line of response.
“We don’t have inpatient facilities that are anywhere close to adequate. We see the same mental health patients over and over again,” he said.
To address the gap, Shelby County added a mental health liaison in May of 2025. Zach Andrews has been in the role for nearly a year and said the program has shown the need for more mental health officers.
“This first year has really shown the need for more mental health officers,” Andrews said. “Law enforcement officers aren’t trained from a clinician standpoint. This gives them someone they can call when a situation is beyond their skill set — to help de-escalate before it gets worse.”
Andrews said the goal is simple— keep everyone safe.
“We want the person in crisis to go home. We want law enforcement officers to go home. Our goal is to make sure every scene is handled as safely as possible,” Andrews said.
Andrews said Shelby County plans to expand the mental health liaison program throughout the year.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is investigating all three shootings.