Prattville man charged after assaulting off-duty officer at Montgomery Walmart

A Prattville man is facing a second-degree assault charge after police say he struck an off-duty Alabama State University officer working security at Montgomery’s Ann Street Walmart, leaving the officer with abrasions to his face, arm and legs.

Court records say 20-year-old Donovan Caldwell went into the store with a backpack and intended to shoplift. Just after 11:30 a.m. on May 5, loss-prevention workers alerted the officer after Caldwell allegedly put items into the backpack, setting off the confrontation inside the busy Montgomery store.

The officer, who was working an off-duty security job, confronted Caldwell after the warning from store workers. The two struggled to the ground during the altercation, and court records say Caldwell then struck the officer in the face. Shoppers stepped in and helped detain Caldwell until police arrived.

The officer was injured in the attack, with abrasions reported to the face, arm and legs. Caldwell was charged with second-degree assault and was being held in the Montgomery County Detention Facility on a $7,500 bond.

The arrest drew attention because it unfolded in the Ann Street Walmart, a store in a heavily traveled commercial area where off-duty officers are often part of the security presence. It also underscores how quickly a suspected shoplifting incident can turn into a violent encounter that leaves a law enforcement officer hurt and a suspect facing a felony charge.

WAKA 8 and WSFA 12 both reported the arrest on May 6, one day after the confrontation. Court filings say the case began with an allegation of theft, escalated into a physical struggle, and ended with bystanders helping hold Caldwell until police took him into custody. The charge now moves the case into the county court system, where the next steps will center on bond, the injury to the officer and the allegations tied to the confrontation at the Montgomery store.