DOTHAN, Ala. — A Dothan man is wanted on active arrest warrants after police say he accidentally shot himself, then claimed a stranger emerged from the woods and opened fire.
According to the Dothan Police Department, officers responded Sept. 27 to the 2000 block of Hodgesville Road after receiving a report of a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the lower leg.
Police identified the man as 34-year-old Mitchell Dean Wilson Jr. of Dothan. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Wilson initially told officers an unknown man came out of a wooded area and began firing a handgun, striking him in the leg.
Criminal investigators responded and began looking into the shooting. Police said investigators determined the trajectory, location and angle of Wilson’s wound did not match his account.
Investigators said the evidence indicated the gunshot was either self-inflicted or fired at close range.
Police later determined Wilson had shot himself while improperly handling a firearm. The gun was later recovered while officers executed a search warrant at the residence where Wilson was living.
According to police, Wilson eventually admitted he lied about what happened because previous criminal convictions prohibited him from legally possessing or handling a firearm.
Wilson remained hospitalized for treatment while the investigation continued.
Police have charged Wilson with one count of false reporting to law enforcement and one count of certain persons forbidden to carry a firearm. He is currently wanted on active arrest warrants.
Anyone with information about Wilson’s whereabouts is asked to call the Dothan Police Department at 334-793-0215 or Central Alabama CrimeStoppers at 334-215-STOP. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through P3TIPS.com.
