PHOTO: A Center Star Fire Rescue firefighter trying to save a life became the victim of a shooting in Florence on Tuesday. Grace McCluskey came upon what she thought was a vehicle accident but in actuality was the end of a police chase with a suspected bank robber, according to Center Star Fire. “Tragically, in the course of her response, she was shot — an unimaginable consequence for simply doing what she has dedicated her life to: helping others,” the agency said in a Facebook post.
A Florence Police officer also was shot and injured. About 2:53 p.m. Tuesday, Florence Police Department officers and Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to PNC Bank on Cox Creek Parkway for a welfare check involving a man who threatened to rob the bank. According to the sheriff’s office, about $6,000 was stolen. When they arrived, police said they saw the man leaving and initiated a chase. The chase ended when the man’s vehicle hit another on Highway 72 east of County Road 323.
