William Chenoweth Jr,William Chenoweth Sr Obituary, Death; – Authorities have disclosed the identities of two men discovered deceased in a Shelby County residence following a five-hour standoff during which gunfire was exchanged.
Coroner Lina Evans confirmed the deceased as William Chenoweth Jr., aged 48, and his father, William Chenoweth Sr., aged 74. Evans indicated that Chenoweth Jr. sustained gunshot wounds inflicted by deputies while they were executing a mental health pickup order.
The elder Chenoweth was found deceased and in a state of decomposition within a bathtub. According to Evans, there appears to be no indication of foul play concerning the elder man’s death. Autopsies will be performed by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences.
At approximately 8 a.m., Shelby County sheriff’s deputies arrived at the residence located on Narrows Drive in the Narrows subdivision off U.S. 280 to serve the mental health pickup order for Chenoweth Sr.
Sheriff John Samaniego reported that deputies knocked on the door and announced their presence but received no response. They subsequently breached the door and simultaneously broke a window to divert the attention of anyone inside. At that moment, Chenoweth Jr. approached the deputies and opened fire, prompting them to return fire and retreat.
Samaniego noted that deputies initially believed they had shot Chenoweth Jr. Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the situation and engaged in ongoing negotiations.
Authorities utilized remote methods to open the door and deployed drones inside, as stated by the sheriff. They observed Chenoweth Jr. seated in a recliner. “We still had not seen the elderly gentleman that the pickup was for,” Samaniego remarked.
In an effort to compel the men to exit the residence, deputies released gas into the home, but this tactic proved ineffective. It is believed that Chenoweth Jr. subsequently moved from the recliner to a bed in an attempt to evade the gas. After deploying additional gas, Samaniego reported that they observed Chenoweth Jr. lying in the bed.
“We could see the subject did not move, so we feared he was in grave condition at that point,” he stated. At approximately 1:30 p.m., law enforcement officers gained entry into the residence. Chenoweth Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound, while Chenoweth Sr. was discovered deceased in the bathtub.
