A Sipsey man was caught in the act of burglarizing the fire station by members of Sipsey Fire Department on Wednesday.
Firefighters saw Lee Andrew Smith, 57, running from inside the fire station upon returning from a call after midnight.
Walker County Sheriff's Office Acting Sergeant Slade Reeves and Deputy Steve Legg were patrolling in Sipsey. Legg encountered Smith on the run and ordered him to stop. Legg chased him down on foot and took him into custody. Smith had a drug smoking pipe in his pocket.
Smith has been charged with burglary 3rd, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, criminal mischief and resisting arrest.
"We are continually working to lower the crime rate in Sipsey and we are happy for this enforcement effort by our midnight shift deputies. Fire departments provide valuable emergency services to our communities and we won’t tolerate the victimization of our fire departments," Sheriff Nick Smith said.