The person of interest is now a prime suspect in a shooting involving a Russellville Police officer.
Steve Jeffrey Cain, 49, of Phil Campbell, is charged with attempted murder, felon in possession of a firearm, and attempted burglary. Cain pleaded guilty in 2008 in connection with a robbery at Elgin Pharmacy in Lauderdale County. Authorities say he never showed up for sentencing, and has a warrant for his arrest in that case.
The most recent charges stem from an incident Wednesday on Gandy Street. Three officers confronted Cain and 37-year-old Regina Renee Cansler in front of Concord Baptist Church. The two were suspected of trying to break into Hometown Pharmacy. Police say Cain shot at the officers, then got shot himself when one officer fired back. WHNT News 19 has learned that Cain could be in even more trouble.
Binoculars, bullets, and bottles of medication are all taken out of a white Camaro on Thursday morning. An agent with the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and Russellville Police officers searched the car, which belongs to Steve Jeffrey Cain.
"It's obvious that this is a very dangerous individual that we're dealing with," says Russellville Police Chief Chris Harget.
Hargett says officers found the car Thursday morning in the Russellville Hospital parking lot, near the area of Wednesday's shooting. Hargett says Cain is in deep trouble, on a local and federal level.
"The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is also looking at the possibility of charging him for a person forbidden to possess a firearm," explains Hargett.
Russellville isn't the only city where Cain could be in trouble. The Phil Campbell Police Department, along with other law enforcement agencies, executed a search warrant at Cain's home in Spruce Pine and say they found evidence linking him to the burglary at the Phil Campbell Drugs on Highway 237 a few weeks ago, where an officer was also shot at.
"We did find some items there that were interesting to us in the fact that they came from Phil Campbell Drugs," says Phil Campbell Police Chief Merrell Potter.
Cain's home is located on Franklin County Highway 20. Chief Potter says they found several cars on the property that match descriptions given by witnesses, plus stolen items that tie Cain to burglaries in Hackleburg. Potter also noticed a lot of similarities between the two crimes in Phil Campbell and Russellville.
"One of the things is the time of day it happened, around five o'clock in the morning," says Potter. "The clothing that he had on was very similar and of course, the shooting at police officers."
Potter believes Cain is the person behind these violent crimes and says he feels better now that he's been caught.
"We just feel like it's safer for everyone now knowing that this person is going to probably be behind bars for a long, long time," says Potter.
Cain is still recovering from the gunshot wound in Huntsville Hospital. Russellville Police officers will stay at Cain's room until he's released. In Phil Campbell, Chief Potter says DNA evidence and results from ballistic testing on the stolen weapons should be finished within a week. After that, Potter plans to pursue charges against Cain.
As for Cansler, she's charged with attempted burglary and possession of burglary tools. Police say she too could face more charges.
Steve Jeffrey Cain, 49, of Phil Campbell, is charged with attempted murder, felon in possession of a firearm, and attempted burglary. Cain pleaded guilty in 2008 in connection with a robbery at Elgin Pharmacy in Lauderdale County. Authorities say he never showed up for sentencing, and has a warrant for his arrest in that case.
The most recent charges stem from an incident Wednesday on Gandy Street. Three officers confronted Cain and 37-year-old Regina Renee Cansler in front of Concord Baptist Church. The two were suspected of trying to break into Hometown Pharmacy. Police say Cain shot at the officers, then got shot himself when one officer fired back. WHNT News 19 has learned that Cain could be in even more trouble.
Binoculars, bullets, and bottles of medication are all taken out of a white Camaro on Thursday morning. An agent with the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and Russellville Police officers searched the car, which belongs to Steve Jeffrey Cain.
"It's obvious that this is a very dangerous individual that we're dealing with," says Russellville Police Chief Chris Harget.
Hargett says officers found the car Thursday morning in the Russellville Hospital parking lot, near the area of Wednesday's shooting. Hargett says Cain is in deep trouble, on a local and federal level.
"The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is also looking at the possibility of charging him for a person forbidden to possess a firearm," explains Hargett.
Russellville isn't the only city where Cain could be in trouble. The Phil Campbell Police Department, along with other law enforcement agencies, executed a search warrant at Cain's home in Spruce Pine and say they found evidence linking him to the burglary at the Phil Campbell Drugs on Highway 237 a few weeks ago, where an officer was also shot at.
"We did find some items there that were interesting to us in the fact that they came from Phil Campbell Drugs," says Phil Campbell Police Chief Merrell Potter.
Cain's home is located on Franklin County Highway 20. Chief Potter says they found several cars on the property that match descriptions given by witnesses, plus stolen items that tie Cain to burglaries in Hackleburg. Potter also noticed a lot of similarities between the two crimes in Phil Campbell and Russellville.
"One of the things is the time of day it happened, around five o'clock in the morning," says Potter. "The clothing that he had on was very similar and of course, the shooting at police officers."
Potter believes Cain is the person behind these violent crimes and says he feels better now that he's been caught.
"We just feel like it's safer for everyone now knowing that this person is going to probably be behind bars for a long, long time," says Potter.
Cain is still recovering from the gunshot wound in Huntsville Hospital. Russellville Police officers will stay at Cain's room until he's released. In Phil Campbell, Chief Potter says DNA evidence and results from ballistic testing on the stolen weapons should be finished within a week. After that, Potter plans to pursue charges against Cain.
As for Cansler, she's charged with attempted burglary and possession of burglary tools. Police say she too could face more charges.
