Trussville cop beating suspect sought by heavily armed lawmen in wooded areaPublished: Friday, March 25, 2011, 12:18 PM Updated: Friday, March 25, 2011, 12:44 PMCarol Robinson -- The Birmingham News By Carol Robinson -- The Birmingham News The Birmingham NewsTRUSSVILLE, Alabama - Authorities have swarmed a wooded area in Trussville in search of an ex-convict accused of overpowering a police officer Thursday, spraying him with Mace, beating him and then fleeing with his police cruiser and handgun. Authorities have spent the past 24 hours looking for Luther Glenn III, 41, in connection with the attack on Trussville Officer Dennis Reid. Reid remains hospitalized at UAB in serious condition. The Rev. Rick Andrews of Trinity Christian Fellowship in Trussville spotted a suspicious person in the wooded area behind their church on Floyd Bradford Road while preparing for a Boston Butt sale, said church member Mary Swann.Someone from the church called police, who have responded with a helicopter and tracking dogs and dozens of heavily-armed officers.U.S. Marshals, Trussville police, the Jefferson County sheriff's office and the Alabama Bureau of Investigation are among those searching for Glenn."It was scary," Swann said. "They all came in and got out with handguns and those big ol' long guns.Trussville suspect scene.JPGAuthorities have swarmed a wooded area in Trussville in search of an ex-convict accused of overpowering a police officer Thursday, spraying him with Mace, beating him and then fleeing with his police cruiser and handgun. (The Birmingham News/Michelle Campbell)"Us ladies of the church, we said a prayer and we know God will watch over everything," she said. "We prayed that he would be caught and nobody will be hurt. We know the Lord fights our battles for us."Glenn, of Trussville, was released from state prison just last month, is well known to law enforcement in eastern Jefferson County. He is considered armed and dangerous. His lengthy rap sheet includes arrests for attempted murder, robbery, assault, arson, receiving stolen property, distribution of a controlled substance, theft and eluding police, court records show.He was released from prison in February after serving four years, five months and 29 days for convictions on receiving stolen property, assault and leaving the scene of an accident. He had 11 disciplinary actions during his most recent stint in prison. He also served time between 1987 and 1996 for convictions of assault, distribution of a controlled substance, receiving stolen property and arson.Authorities said he attacked Reid Thursday morning when officers responded to a call of a burglary in progress on Smith Sims Road in the Lola City area at 9:48 a.m.One of the units was driven by Reid, an eight-year veteran of the department. Sivley said Reid encountered the man, who overpowered him and beat him, taking his keys and gun before fleeing in his patrol car. When other Trussville officers could no longer reach Reid on the radio, several units converged on the area and found Reid on Lola City Road.Investigators were able to identify Glenn as the officer's attacker based on video taken from the Trussville patrol car. They were able to track the stolen vehicle through the GPS system in the car, authorities said. The car was recovered within the hour in Birmingham's Fountain Heights neighborhood.
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