(DOTHAN, Ala.) On September 24, 2025, just after 1:00 am, Dothan Police officers responded to the 1200 block of South Park Avenue for a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle. When they arrived, officers found the female victim in the roadway. The victim, identified as Fatimah Ali Borders (45) of Dothan, was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the preliminary investigation, a SUV was driving on South Park Avenue when Borders entered the roadway. Borders was struck by the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle stopped their vehicle and remained on scene until police arrived. The driver fully cooperated with the investigation. No further information is available as this is an ongoing investigation. No charges are expected at this time.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Fatimah Borders as they grieve in this difficult time.
(DOTHAN, Ala.) On September 12, 2025, just after 10:00 pm, the Dothan Communications Center received reports of an armed robbery in progress at a gas station in the 100 block of Ross Clark Circle. Officers immediately responded to the area. It was reported an individual wearing a hoodie style jacket, a mask, and socks on his hands had entered the business armed with what appeared to be a long gun and demanded money. After receiving the money from the clerk, the suspect was seen by another witness running from the business towards a wooded area. This witness was able to point responding officers, who were on scene within minutes, in the area where the suspect ran.
As K-9 officers were beginning to track, patrol supervisors had requested aerial support to aid in tracking the suspect. A helicopter, operated by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency in coordination with the Wiregrass Aerial Support Program (WASP), was in the air and on scene within minutes. An alert officer on the perimeter noticed a person coming out of the wood line. When the person was ordered to stop, he took off running away from the officer. Officers gave chase and, after the suspect fell into a ditch and got back up, he was taken into custody. The suspect dropped a bag that contained the exact amount of money taken in the robbery, which was also recovered by officers. When officers searched the area where the suspect came out of the wood line, officer found the socks, hoodie, and gun used in the robbery, which turned out to be a toy gun. The clothing worn by the suspect was also exactly what the suspect wore during the robbery.
The suspect was identified as Kevone Devontay Smith (24) of Dothan. Smith has been charged with one count of Robbery 1st degree and Attempting to Elude a Law Enforcement Officer. Robbing stores, toy gun or not, will not be tolerated in the City of Dothan. People who commit these types of dangerous crimes will be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent allowed by law. The quick response and professional investigation led to the capture of this suspect. Investigation into the methods used for the crime as well as other evidence may lead to additional charges. This is an ongoing investigation.
-Chief William E. Benny
Kevone Devontay Smith (24)- Robbery 1st degree and Attempting to Elude a Law Enforcement
(DOTHAN, Ala.) On September 10, 2025, just after 10:30 am, the Dothan Communications Center received a call from a man in the 400 block of East Cottonwood Road claiming a large number of federal agents were surrounding him and requesting assistance. When officers arrived on the scene, they made contact with the suspect who was clearly suffering from a mental health crisis. In early conversations, the suspect claimed he had explosives that were active, which was verified by officers on scene. The Special Response Team, Crisis Negotiation Team, and the Bomb Squad all were called to the scene.
A crisis negotiator made contact to begin negotiations with the suspect. After a period of time, the suspect came outside the home and was apprehended using a bean-bag shotgun. As the suspect was taken into custody, one of the homemade explosive devices, a makeshift grenade, was found close to where the suspect fell. Officers immediately evacuated the area and got the suspect to a safe location. Members of the Bomb Team secured the explosive device. Statements made by the suspect led the Bomb Team to perform a safety sweep of the suspect’s residence, after a search warrant was signed, to make the scene safe from any other explosive devices. No more explosive devices were discovered. The suspect was taken to a local hospital for mental evaluation and was admitted for treatment. Criminal charges are expected.
No businesses in the area were close enough to be in danger from the explosive devices. Dothan Prep Academy and a close-by daycare were placed on lockdown out of an abundance of caution because of the high level of police presence. The safety of our citizens is the utmost importance. The decision to evacuate residents or have them shelter in place comes after consultation with certified explosives technicians on our Bomb Team trained in blast radius estimation. We want to thank all the residents in the area for their cooperation while the incident unfolded. We are thankful there were no serious injuries to officers or residents in the area.
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