By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Without the help of the Alabaster police and fire departments, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Regional Paramedical Services, Joy Sullivan may not have made it to the city’s July 1 City Council meeting.

“I couldn’t have survived it without these guys right here,” Sullivan said as she was surrounded by nearly two-dozen men and women from the four organizations in the front of the Alabaster Municipal Annex. “I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Nearly two months ago, Sullivan was alone at her Alabaster home when 29-year-old Pinson resident Angela Kelly allegedly broke into the house while running from police.

According to Alabaster Police Chief Curtis Rigney, SCSO deputies attempted to serve a warrant on Kelly in the Pea Ridge community when Kelly allegedly fled to Alabaster.

While SCSO deputies and Alabaster officers were attempting to locate Kelly, the suspect allegedly broke into Sullivan’s house and severely beat her. Rigney said Kelly barricaded herself in Sullivan’s home until Sullivan hit the panic button on her car, alerting officers to the suspect’s location.

Officers were forced to kick in the door to the residence to arrest the suspect and secure Sullivan, Rigney said.

After the incident, Sullivan was treated in a local hospital’s intensive care unit.

Kelly currently is being held in the Shelby County Jail on bonds totaling $151,500. She faces charges of first-degree burglary, first-degree assault, first-degree robbery, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement and resisting arrest.

Since Sullivan was released from the hospital, Alabaster officers have met her at the city line to escort her to her house each night after her late work shift at a Hoover convenience store.

“We don’t even ask them to do that, they just do it,” said Alabaster Mayor Marty Handlon. “They have showed her all kinds of additional love on top of what their jobs are.”

Sullivan originally wanted to throw a party for the first responders, but decided to instead have Handlon read a proclamation at the July 1 meeting honoring the police, firefighters, deputies and paramedics who helped during the incident.

“The help has been outstanding,” Sullivan said.