Holly MatkinBirmingham, AL – An off-duty Birmingham police officer working a second job at a 24-hour nightclub was shot while confronting an armed suspect early Nov. 13.
The incident occurred at approximately 3 a.m. on Nov. 13 at The Quest nightclub located in the 400-block of 24th Street, WIAT reported.
Off-duty Birmingham Police Officer Darius Gamble, 28, had just arrived to his shift at the club when other employees told him there was a man inside armed with a gun, the Birmingham Police Department (BPD) said in a press release on Monday.
The suspect was later identified as 27-year-old Robert William Lee.
When Officer Gamble made contact with Lee inside the business, a physical altercation broke out, Birmingham Police Sergeant Rod Mauldin told The Birmingham News.
During the brawl, Lee’s gun discharged, hitting both him and Officer Gamble, Sgt. Mauldin said.
Officer Gamble was shot in the foot, while Lee suffered a gunshot wound to his “lower extremities,” according to the sergeant.
Despite his injury, Officer Gamble was able to subdue the gunman prior to the arrival of the on-duty officers.
The suspect and the wounded officer were both transported to UAB Hospital, the BPD said in the press release.
Officer Gamble was treated and released to recover at home, The Birmingham News reported.
Lee was treated and released by hospital staff before he was booked into the Jefferson County Jail on charges of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana, according to the BPD.
His bond was set at $31,000.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is handling the ongoing investigation into the incident.
Officer Gamble, a four-year law enforcement veteran, is assigned to the department’s patrol division, the BPD said.
