HUNTSVILLE, Ala — UPDATE 9/22: Shortly before a demonstration was to begin at Big Spring Park, demanding Huntsville Police release body cam footage of a fatal officer-involved shooting, FOX54 has confirmed that the officer at the center of that investigation has been cleared to return to work.
HPD officials said that the officer, who has not been named, was allowed to return to duty following a preliminary review of the case by the district attorney's office.
A group was scheduled to protest the fatal shooting of Sterling Arnold at 6:30 p.m. Friday night. Our reporter at the scene witnessed the arrest of Garrick Rawls, one of the protest organizers. Rawls was booked in the Madison County Jail on a charge of disorderly conduct.
Demonstrators allege that Arnold was walking away from officers at the time he was shot. Police have not commented on that allegation.
Prior to his arrested Rawls shared, " I feel like protests like this is necessary because it would just be brushed under the rug and psychology says that either a behavior is always getting better or it's always getting worse. So, if nobody does anything, we'll see this repeat itself over and over again. If nobody asks for answers and it's allowed to continue to happen."
A small protest would continue following his arrest.
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UPDATE 9/15: ALEA officials confirm the person shot Thursday evening by a Huntsville officer has died.
In an update distributed Friday afternoon, ALEA says the State Bureau of Investigaton launched the investigation into an officer-involved shooting shortly after the incident, which took place in the 500 block of Monroe Street.
ALEA identified the deceased person as 43-year-old Sterling Keyon Arnold. Police said Arnold was in possession of a handgun during the encounter with officials, and during the incident, Arnold was shot and later pronounced dead.
The SBI investigation is ongoing as of Friday. Once complete, ALEA says the findings will be turned over to the Madison County District Attorney's Office.
Our original reporting continues below.
Huntsville Police said one person was injured following a shooting that involved a police officer Thursday night.
According to officials, the shooting happened just after 6 p.m. on Monroe Street near Holmes Avenue in Northwest Huntsville.
Police said no officers were injured in the incident, and that the condition of the injured subject was not known as of 7 p.m. Thursday.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) is taking over the investigation, according to HPD officials.
