The death of Brundidge’s Rickey Shackelford marked the first time since Pike County Sheriff Russell Thomas took office that a deputy fatally shot anyone.

“It’s my first time in the 14 years I’ve been here,” Thomas said.

When deputies and Alabama Department of Probation and Parole officials went to arrest Shackelford, 47, for a parole violator’s warrant issued by Coffee County, he resisted and came after the officer, said Pike County District Attorney Gary McAliley.

“They went to pick him up, and he had a machete in one hand and a 12-inch hunting knife in the other hand,” McAliley said.

McAliley said Shackelford had seven years left on his penitentiary sentence for several charges, ranging from distribution of controlled substances, to burglary, to assault. He was out on parole under conditions of not committing another crime.

“A crime was allegedly committed in Coffee County,” McAliley said.

Thomas said when officers attempted to arrest Shackelford, he said, ‘I’m not going back to prison,’ and then raised his machete coming toward the deputy.

McAliley said officers warned Shackelford to put down his weapons before he was shot.

“He came toward the deputy. The deputy told him to stop, and he didn’t,” McAliley said. “The deputy had to shoot him, and he died.”

Pike County Coroner Jerry Williams pronounced Shackelford dead at 11 a.m. Friday.

Since the incident involves local law enforcement, Thomas said the investigation was handed over to the Alabama Bureau of Investigations, and it is ongoing.

Thomas said he would not release the name of the deputy who shot Shackelford but said he is a 20-year veteran of the Pike County Sheriff’s Department.

The case will be presented to a grand jury in the Pike County Courthouse on Oct. 27.