As the November elections draw near, the Alabama Secretary of State's Office say voter registration events are being hosted in the coming weeks in St. Clair, Green and Dale counties. Secretary of State John Merrill also announced that over the next week five of the 17 Republican presidential candidates will be in Alabama to campaign. Donald Trump will make a campaign stop in Mobile Friday night. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker will address the Alabama Republican Party summer luncheon on Saturday. Texas Senator Ted Cruz will attend the Lincoln/Reagan Dinner on August 25th. Dr. Ben Carson will be the guest speaker at a home in Pike Road, also on August 25th. Jeb Bush will visit Birmingham on August 26th. On Monday, Ohio Governor John Kasich visited Birmingham and was endorsed by Governor Robert Bentley.
Domestic Violence
A Montgomery Police officer was arrested and charged with domestic violence. Lt. Denise Barnes, a police spokeswoman, said in a statement that 23-year-old Walter Smith is charged with a single count of domestic violence and harassment. Details of the alleged crime have not been released. The department has started termination proceedings against Smith, who joined the Montgomery Police force last year. He was booked into the city jail.
Multiple Arrests
Dozens of Montgomery police officers converged on a shopping area in west Montgomery Wednesday afternoon and made multiple arrests. Major C.A. Wingard said officers assigned to the Special Operations Division were responding to citizen complaints about acts of violence, drug dealing, thefts and other crimes that have plagued the Court Street Commons shopping center. Major Wingard said other troubled neighborhoods in Montgomery will also be targeted.
Shooting Victim Identified
Authorities in Hoover have identified a man who was apparently shot to death by his 2-year-old in what police are calling a horrible accident. Hoover police say investigators have ruled out suicide and other scenarios in the death of 31-year-old Divine Chambliss. The victim was found shot once in the head in an apartment Tuesday afternoon, and no one else was inside other than the toddler. Hoover police say it's not difficult for a child to pull a trigger on that kind of weapon, and investigators believe that's what happened.