Key Takeaways
- A man attempted to rob two people at a boat ramp in Limestone County but was shot during the encounter.
- Marvin Blair Fletcher, 46, threatened victims with a gun and was shot in self-defense by one of them.
- Fletcher was found wounded later and arrested on charges of first-degree robbery with no bail granted.
- Evidence from Fletcher’s home matched the victims’ descriptions and included a gun with fresh blood evidence.
- The incident highlights the importance of self-defense and being prepared, even in seemingly safe locations like a boat ramp.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
ATHENS, AL — A man who pulled a gun on two people at a Limestone County boat ramp and demanded their wallet was shot by one of them and ran, according to the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office.
The robbery attempt happened Aug. 12 at the Cowford Boat Ramp, as reported by WHNT, which detailed the sheriff’s office account of the incident, the search warrant that followed, and the bail ruling. Deputies were dispatched to a call of gunfire at the ramp. While they were still en route, dispatch took a second call reporting a person with a gunshot wound near the robbery scene.
Investigators say the suspect, Marvin Blair Fletcher, 46, pulled out a gun and tried to rob two people of their wallet. One of the victims drew a gun of their own and fired at him in self-defense. Fletcher ran.
Deputies located Fletcher a short time later with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital.
Investigators later obtained a search warrant for Fletcher’s home. During that search they recovered a gun matching the description the victims had given, and the sheriff’s office said the weapon appeared to have “fresh blood evidence” on it. That is the kind of corroboration that turns a victim’s account into a case. The two people at the ramp described a gun they had seen for a matter of seconds, and investigators found that gun inside the suspect’s house with physical evidence still on it.
An arrest warrant was granted. Fletcher was released from the hospital and arrested Aug. 17 on a charge of first-degree robbery.
After a hearing under Alabama’s Aniah’s Law, which allows a judge to deny bail outright in certain violent felony cases rather than setting an amount, District Judge Gray West ordered Fletcher held in the Limestone County jail with no bail. In that order, the judge noted Fletcher has had at least one military court martial for improper sexual contact and is a registered sex offender.
In a statement, Limestone County Sheriff Joshua McLaughlin commended his dispatchers, deputies, and investigators for their work securing two separate scenes and preserving evidence during what he called a rapidly evolving and chaotic situation.
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“This incident also serves as an example of how a law-abiding citizen was able to defend themselves and potentially prevent a much more serious outcome,” McLaughlin said.
This is why I say always carry. A boat ramp is exactly the kind of place people talk themselves out of it. You are going fishing, you are loading gear, the gun feels like one more thing to manage on the water, so it stays locked in the truck while you walk down to the dock. The two people at the Cowford Boat Ramp did not get to pick the moment a stranger decided to point a gun at them, and neither will you. Carry at the ramp, carry on the walk back to the vehicle, carry when nothing is happening, because the times nothing is happening are most of your life and the one exception does not send a warning.
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