Dog the Bounty Hunter’s son, Priceville Police Officer Garry Chapman, has been fired from the department following a high-speed inter-town pursuit that tragically resulted in the death of a 17-year-old boy. Chapman, the 24-year-old son of reality TV stars Alice and Duane Chapman (Dog the Bounty Hunter), was terminated from the Priceville Police Department in Morgan County, Alabama, for his involvement in the pursuit.
The whole terrible incident began just before 8:30 PM when Priceville Police attempted to stop a vehicle, allegedly driven by a suspect identified as Archie Brandon Hale, on Interstate 65 for moving violations and suspicion of DUI. The driver refused to stop, which is when the police initiated a pursuit. Officer Chapman joined the chase as the suspect’s vehicle exited the interstate and sped onto Main Street in the neighboring town of Hartselle.
The chase came to a horrific end when Hale’s vehicle allegedly slammed into a minivan carrying four teenage boys at the intersection of Highway 31 and 36. The impact of the crash launched the minivan across the intersection, per NY Post. Tragically, 17-year-old Tristan Hollis, one of the boys inside the minivan, was transported to a local hospital but was later pronounced dead.
A teen dies after a police chase ends in a car collision
All of the other three teens in the minivan, along with the suspect Hale, and his passenger, were hospitalized due to injuries sustained in the wreck. Hartselle Police are currently investigating the incident. The suspect, Archie Brandon Hale, who was seriously injured in the crash, was later slapped with multiple charges, including murder and driving under the influence.
Officials also charged Hale with a slew of additional crimes, including possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and prescription drugs, reckless endangerment, attempting to elude a police officer, and several traffic violations.
Officer Chapman, who had been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation, was ultimately fired by Priceville Police Chief Jerry Holmes. This recommendation was upheld by Mayor Sam Heflin. It’s a terrible situation all around, and it seems like the department is taking a hard-line stance, with the Mayor reportedly saying the chase should have been stopped before the car collision happened.
However, Chapman is not taking the termination lying down. He has already filed an appeal, arguing that he followed both department policy and state law in how he handled the high-speed pursuit.
His attorney, Scott Morro, is strongly backing him up, saying that Chapman is an “excellent police officer” and an “asset” to the city. Morro stated to FOX54, “The Supreme Court allows pursuit as long as you’re assessing danger throughout the pursuit. And it’s unfortunate that it turned out the way it did. But Garry followed the law, and he followed the policy”. The attorney added that they “hope that the City Council, after the hearing, will see it our way and recognize that Chapman is an asset to their city and not a detriment. And so hopefully he’ll be reinstated”.
The City Council hearing, where they will decide whether to uphold the firing or reinstate him, is scheduled for October 14.
Published: Oct 1, 2025 07:45 pm