Jacksonville, AL – On Tuesday, August 15, 2023 at approximately 2pm, a deputy sheriff with the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a possible driver passed out behind the wheel. When the deputy arrived and attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Boozer Road in Jacksonville the driver, later identified as Jason Corey Cottrill, 41, of Jacksonville, fled the area in his 2008 Dodge Ram truck and a pursuit was initiated.
The School Resource Officer from the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office that was assigned to Pleasant Valley High School was listening to the radio traffic from the pursuing deputies and realized the chase was coming close to the school grounds. SRO Kirk, notified the administration and a lockdown was initiated to keep anyone from entering the building. At that time SRO Kirk heard the pursuing deputies state that the vehicle had crashed near the school and Cottrill was now running on foot. SRO Kirk was positioned outside and saw Cottrill running towards the gym. Cottrill was intercepted by SRO Kirk and taken into custody on school grounds. Cottrill at no time ever gained access to the school and no one was injured during the incident.
The Calhoun County Sheriff, Matthew Wade, said, “I am very proud of SRO Kirk and the efforts he took to keep his school safe. After seeing the body cam footage I can say that he was passionate about safety and protecting that school.” The Sheriff also stated, “Although they [SRO’s] train for these types of emergencies we always hope they won’t occur. I am very happy to know that our SRO’s will take the necessary steps to protect the schools, the children, and administration in them.”
