Former Cop Pleads to Lesser Charge | Huntsville News

A former Gurley cop, Christopher Whalen, just pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide in the fatal 2023 crash that killed innocent bystander Matthew Norwood during a high-speed police chase. Originally charged with reckless manslaughter, Whalen now admits to a mistake — not the extreme recklessness prosecutors first alleged. Norwood, driving his Toyota Corolla, was caught in the crossfire and died; Whalen himself was injured. He’d already resigned from the force in January, and the case was wrapped up by state police before being handed to prosecutors. Under the new deal, he faces two years of probation — with a one-year jail sentence if he violates it. A tragic loss for Norwood’s family, and a sobering reminder of the human cost behind every pursuit.

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