Police say the man opened fire from a camper inside his business; an officer was grazed and the owner was hit multiple times.
SEMMES, AL — A Semmes business owner was shot and wounded early Sunday after officers checking an open door at his auto shop went inside and exchanged gunfire with a man later identified as the owner, authorities said. One officer was grazed by a bullet, and the owner was struck multiple times before surrendering after a brief standoff.
Police and sheriff’s deputies are investigating the shooting at Bowman’s Auto Air on Moffett Road, where officers on routine patrol discovered an open door around 3 a.m. Sunday. The man shot was identified as 58-year-old Johnny Bowman Jr., who remains hospitalized. The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation. Body-worn camera video exists, according to police, but has not been released while the inquiry is underway. As of Monday evening, no charges had been announced. The case comes as the department reviews tactics for checking commercial properties overnight following recent burglary reports in the area.
Semmes Police Chief Todd Freind said two officers entered Bowman’s Auto Air to make sure no one was inside after noticing the shop’s door standing open. Inside the building, they saw a camper trailer and, while preparing to leave, noticed movement. The officers announced themselves and ordered anyone inside to come out, Freind said. The trailer door opened and shots were fired from inside, striking one officer across the lower back. Officers returned fire and retreated from the building. “They announced their intentions, started searching the place, and when they noticed movement in the camper and announced again, the door opened and gunfire came out,” Freind said. After additional units arrived, authorities negotiated with the man for roughly two hours before he surrendered. Bowman was taken by ambulance to a local hospital with five gunshot wounds, police said.
Freind said investigators recovered shell casings from both police service weapons and a handgun believed to have been fired from the camper. The officer’s wound was described as a graze injury; the officer was treated and released. Bowman’s condition was not disclosed beyond “hospitalized.” Authorities confirmed the business address as 7461 Moffett Road and said the shop was otherwise unoccupied at the time. Records show Bowman’s Auto Air has been in operation for about 31 years and was founded by Bowman’s father. Police said the department has had prior interactions with Bowman but did not detail their nature. Detectives with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office interviewed the involved officers Sunday and were expected to speak with Bowman when his medical condition allows. Officials declined to say how many rounds were fired by each officer or the specific handgun model recovered from the camper, citing the active investigation.
The early-morning call followed a report of a burglary in the area earlier that night, according to Freind, who said officers were watching for unsecured businesses along Moffett Road. Semmes, a city northwest of Mobile, has seen periodic overnight commercial break-ins, prompting officers to check doors during routine patrols. In this case, the open door triggered a building sweep that led to the discovery of the camper parked inside the shop. Investigators said they are still working to determine why the door was open, whether the shop showed signs of forced entry, and whether video from nearby businesses captured the approach or the exchange of gunfire. The department said it will review entry and announcement procedures as part of the standard post-incident evaluation.
Because an officer fired his weapon, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office took over the primary investigation, with Semmes police providing reports and evidence collected at the scene. Officials said body camera footage from the responding officers will be reviewed by investigators and prosecutors before any public release decisions are made. Detectives also collected ballistic evidence for forensic analysis to match rounds to weapons. If criminal charges are filed, they could be announced by the sheriff’s office or the Mobile County District Attorney after the case file is complete. Officials said additional updates are expected once interviews with the wounded owner and other witnesses are conducted.
Neighbors who drove past the scene Sunday morning described police vehicles blocking Moffett Road’s business entrances and deputies using a loudspeaker to call for the occupant to exit. A close family friend said Bowman faces a long recovery and intends to share his account when he is able. The friend said he is “not the criminal he’s being portrayed as,” adding that relatives believe the after-hours presence inside the business was related to work. Police did not comment on those statements. Officers remained at the shop for several hours documenting the scene, and crime-scene tape surrounded the building as technicians marked evidence near the bay doors and the camper inside.
As of late Monday, Bowman was still hospitalized and the sheriff’s investigation was ongoing. Police said they expect to provide a further update Tuesday on the status of evidence review and potential charging decisions.
Author note: Last updated January 6, 2026.