Disabled vet raises concerns about gunfire and safety in Selma

From the West Alabama Newsroom–

A Selma man is standing up on behalf of his community — and speaking out about gunfire that he says is terrorizing the neighborhood.

“I’m 66 years old, I’m a retired disabled veteran. I want to live peacefully.”

Jerry Hasberry says the sound of gunfire has become commonplace around Ward Street near the old cigar factory.

And he says many of the people who live in the Mill Village neighborhood — just don’t feel safe.

“They don’t want to be afraid to go to Wal-Mart at night. We are citizens of Selma, we want to keep it safe. But it seems like somebody don’t care.”

Someone opened fire in the area with an automatic weapon Wednesday night. Hasberry’s house was among the houses and vehicles hit by gunfire.

“I was getting ready to go to bed and gunfire just erupted everywhere,” he said. “Riding through the neighborhood with those automatic weapons shooting. It wasn’t semi-automatic, it was automatic.”

Hasberry says people in the community are sick and tired — of being sick and tired — about all the shooting. And he’s called everyone he can think of — to help do something — about the problem.

“I talked to the mayor. I have talked to, I called the sheriff’s department, I’ve called the police department. Hell, I even called the governor.

Anyone with information about this — or any other shooting around the city — call Selma Police at (334) 874-2125.

We contacted Mayor James Perkins, Jr. about the matter — and he said he is aware and sensitive to Hasberry’s complaint. But he doesn’t the authority to fix it.