Two Columbiana police officers resigned from the department last Thursday, following allegations they tried to set a suspect&8217;s vehicle on fire after a short pursuit in the Summer Hill neighborhood.

Officers Donny Duke and Wayne Knight are currently under investigation by the Shelby County Sheriff&8217;s office for their involvement in an incident that allegedly involved a car chase and one of the officers discharging their weapon at the vehicle.

Columbiana Police Chief Johnny Brown confirmed the resignations of the two officers on Friday and said the Sheriff&8217;s office had agreed to investigate the incident, which took place on Highway 25.

The Columbiana city council accepted the resignations at its meeting Monday night.

Brown said one officer passed an individual in a white vehicle that he thought had warrants out for his arrest.

&8220;When the officer tried to stop the vehicle, it would not stop,&8221; Brown said. &8220;The vehicle finally came to a stop near the Summer Hill Quick Mart and the officer preceded to begin a traffic stop.&8221;

According to Brown, the vehicle started moving towards the officer as if to run him down, causing him to fire shots into the vehicle.

The car then pulled away and a chase ensued.

Brown said there were allegations made that the officer fired shots while chasing the vehicle, but he would not confirm or deny those reports or attribute the accusations.

The chief said the vehicle eventually came to a stop at which point the individual got out and left the scene on foot.

The second officer involved in the investigation arrived at the scene after the chase, Brown said. The chief said that there were reports that an attempt was made to set the suspect&8217;s car on fire following the chase, but said he could not confirm the statement.

Brown said Friday that Sheriff&8217;s office investigators would examine the vehicle in question this week.

&8220;The vehicle is now in the possession of the Sheriff&8217;s office,&8221; Brown said. &8220;They will be examining it as they conduct their investigation.&8221;

Shelby County Sheriff Chief Deputy John Samaniego said that his office had agreed to investigate the incident for the Columbiana department.

&8220;If it does ride to the occasion of criminal behavior than we can hand it to a grand jury to take action,&8221; Samaniego said.

Brown said he could not comment on the source of the allegations of extra shots being fired or the attempted burning of the vehicle, pending the sheriff office&8217;s investigation. He said that the officers had been with the department for over five years, combined.

Both Brown and Samaniego declined to comment on the identity of the individual involved in the case, by confirmed that he had not been detained following Saturday&8217;s events.

Columbiana Mayor Allen Lowe said that the resignations were unfortunate.

&8220;I hate that the whole incident occurred,&8221; he said. &8220;I know the gentlemen and I know that this is a shock to everyone. Hopefully, the police officers did what they thought was right. We&8217;ve never had anything but good reports from them in the past.&8221;

Lowe said that Brown had requested posting a job ad for one police officer, but the position would not be filled until the beginning of the city&8217;s new fiscal year on Oct. 1.

&8220;We&8217;ll continue our city operations as usual,&8221; Lowe said