Dade County community comes together for prayer vigil after chase ended in Trenton

TRENTON Ga. (WDEF) – A well-respected officer.

That’s how some people describe Dade County Deputy Chief Tommy Bradford.

“He’s a good person. Everybody in the town knows him,” Jessica Castillo-Westmoreland said.

Tuesday evening, a group gathered in Jenkins Park to pray for Dade County and Trenton law enforcement officers.

They were also taking donations for the Bradford family.

Tommy was seriously injured while trying to stop a suspect in a police chase earlier in the day.

“Today he was a hero. I mean protecting the town, that’s what, from what chad said that’s what he was doing was protecting the city from, that’s why he put those spikes out, was to protect the city from a maniac basically driving through town,” Castillo-Westmoreland said.

It started with a report of a suspicious truck that had backed into a driveway in Fort Payne.

A woman went into the carport picked something up and left.

Authorities said the suspect’s vehicle was spotted, but when officers tried to pull it over, the vehicle didn’t stop, and a chase started.

Officers said the fleeing vehicle hit Bradford while he was trying to the stop it by putting out spike strips.

The chase later ended by the courthouse square in Trenton.

Chris Campbell said he was in his shop when it happened.

“She lost control and tried to turn that curve to go around that square and one of the other officers diverted her and ran her down that street and she hit that pole. So that’s the only reason they got her stopped,” Campbell said.

Pat Rose said he was also in the area.

“I heard a big commotion going on, walked outside seen, seen smoke to my left,” Rose said.

A video on Facebook captured the scene of officers getting the suspect on the ground.

35-year-old Laura Leeann Wooten of Dekalb County was taken into custody.

As for Bradford, he was flown by air ambulance to Chattanooga with critical injuries.

New 12 was told that he underwent surgery.

There is a blood drive planned for Bradford on Wednesday.

It’s set to happen from 4:30p to 8:30p at Piney Grove Baptist.