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Man charged with attempted murder after Tuscaloosa mental health worker fired gun during struggle
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Man charged with attempted murder after Tuscaloosa mental health worker fired gun during struggle

A man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly gaining control of a Tuscaloosa mental health officer’s gun, which went off during a struggle late Monday morning, authorities said.

Capt. John Kennedy of the Tuscaloosa County Violent Crimes Unit said 44-year-old Cedric Leon Tinker was reported to Tuscaloosa police by his family, and Tinker claimed he was “going through some type of mental health issue” several times over the past few days.

Tuscaloosa police dispatched mental health officers to the 3600 block of Stillman Boulevard around 10:45 Monday morning, Kennedy said.

After speaking with his family and social workers, interviewing Tinker, and reviewing the events of the past week, police decided to transport Tinker to the hospital for evaluation.

Tinker refused and became aggressive; Kennedy said he physically resisted arrest by assaulting and making threats against several police officers.

As officers attempted to restrain Tinker on the ground, the suspect allegedly pulled out one of the officer’s guns and took control of him.

Kennedy said the gun was fired once during the conflict, but no one was hit by the gun.

Multiple officers were eventually able to retrieve the gun and take Tinker into custody.

The Violent Crimes Unit was later called in to investigate the incident, which led to Tinker being charged with attempted murder, disarming a law enforcement officer, and second-degree assault.

Tinker is being held without bail in the Tuscaloosa County jail.