Hartford man charged with trying kill Dothan police officer

Dothan police arrested a 32-year-old Hartford man Tuesday and charged him with attempted murder of a police officer during a drug investigation.

According to a police statement, investigators with the Dothan Police Department charged Fred Kenyatta “Lamont” Collins, with felony first-degree possession of marijuana and felony unlawful possession of a controlled substance, along with attempted murder. Police said Collins was arrested as part of a narcotics investigation with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency Drug Task Force.

Police arrested Collins after he failed to yield to emergency vehicles and a brief pursuit. He was arrested after authorities shot out a tire in the vehicle he was driving. He was charged with trying to run over a Dothan police officer during the pursuit.

Officer Thomas Davis, the department’s public information officer, said no officers suffered injuries during the incident.

“It just so happened they moved out of the way in time,” Davis said.

Davis did not know when or where the pursuit and the attempt on the officer’s life happened, but said it was on Tuesday. Davis said police seized some “suspected” marijuana, crack cocaine and meth during the arrest.

The police statement said more charges could be pending in the ongoing investigation. Collins was being held on a $230,000 bond.

Dothan police were assisted in the investigation by the Houston County District Attorney’s office, the Dale County Drug Task Force, and the Houston County Sheriff’s Office.

According to court records, Collins pleaded guilty in 2001 in Geneva County to felony distribution of an imitation controlled substance. He was also convicted in 2004 in Geneva County of felony unlawful possession of a controlled substance.