DOTHAN, Ala. — On January 30, 2026, just before 10:00 a.m., the Dothan Communications Center received reports of a vehicle crash into a retention pond in the 2700 block of Ross Clark Circle. First responders arrived to find the vehicle submerged, and the driver, later identified as 33-year-old Wesley Blake Bowen of Dothan, was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities noted that Bowen had suffered a fatal gunshot wound.
Witnesses reported seeing a black male fleeing the scene. Officers canvassing the area located a suspect, later identified as 24-year-old Michael Tywuan Taylor of Ozark, Alabama, on Stonewood Drive near Farrah Circle. Investigators recovered a jacket and a handgun near the suspect.
Preliminary findings indicate that Bowen was driving the vehicle with Taylor as a passenger when Taylor allegedly pulled a firearm during a suspected robbery and shot Bowen. The vehicle subsequently lost control and crashed into the pond. Taylor has been charged with Capital Murder-Robbery and is being held without bond.
The Dothan Police Department thanked community members who provided tips that assisted in locating the suspect. Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident.
Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the Dothan Police Department at 334-615-3632, Central Alabama Crimestoppers at 334-215-STOP, or submit an anonymous tip online at P3TIPS.com.
