Officials investigating officer involved shooting in Seminole

ROBERTSDALE, Alabama --- The Baldwin County Major Crimes Unit is continuing its investigation of an officer-involved shooting that occurred around 10 a.m. Tuesday morning at Uncle Bubba’s store in Seminole.

According to a release from the Baldwin County Sheriff’s chief investigator’s office, the Robertsdale Police Department received a report from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office in Florida that they were looking for a white male suspect that was “possibly suicidal.”

The suspect has now been identified as Robert Lamar Vaughn, 43, of Cantonment, Fla.

Robertsdale police encountered Vaughn Tuesday at Bethel Cemetery on U.S. Highway 90 near Robertsdale and he fled the scene in a blue pickup truck, according to the report.

After Vaughn reportedly failed to yield, officers from the Robertsdale PD and Baldwin County Sheriff’s Deputies pursued the truck along Highway 90 and Sheriff’s deputies were able to spike the suspect’s truck near Seminole.

The suspect continued into Seminole where he pulled into Uncle Bubba's store. The suspect exited the truck and ran inside with a rifle. While inside the store, the suspect allegedly pointed the rifle at a deputy through a glass door. The deputy fired a shot striking the suspect in the torso.

The deputy has been identified as Austin Welch, a veteran law enforcement officer assigned to the Sheriff’s Office Uniform Services Division.

The suspect was detained and transported to Sacred Heart Hospital. Vaughn’s condition is not available at this time.

This investigation is ongoing and the Sheriff’s office is conducting a parallel internal investigation.