Two arrested in Tuesday morning shooting in Dixie

By Debbie Ingram

Published: July 23, 2008

Two Dothan men have been arrested and charged with assaulting an Elba man in an early morning shooting Tuesday in Dixie. A third suspect, believed to be the trigger man in the shooting of 34-year-old Marzine McMillian, is being sought.

On Wednesday morning, Dothan Police arrested Jermaine Marzarious Tillman, 25, of Johnson Circle, and Devane Latrell Hilliard, 18, of Linden Street, and charged both with first-degree assault.

A warrant is being obtained for the third suspect, who is also wanted in connection with a Dale County robbery.

“We’ve got pretty good information that he left the state,” Capt. Larry Draughon said. “We are working with local, state and federal authorities.”

McMillan was shot at close range with a shotgun as he stood in a parking lot in the 200 block of East Powell Street around 12:45 a.m., police said. McMillan was struck in the side and transported to Southeast Alabama Medical Center.

“It was not a life-threatening injury but he was in great pain,” Draughon said. Police questioned him Tuesday in the intensive care unit.

The owner of the truck believed to have been used during the shooting, who reported it stolen around the time police found it, said he loaned it to Tillman because Tillman was helping him move.

Police then located some of Tillman’s family and in the early morning hours Wednesday, executed a search warrant on the house. Hilliard was arrested in the same general area, Draughon said. Draughon said the men were arrested after they were found hiding in their homes.

“They targeted him, it wasn’t a random act,” Draughon said. “He identified one of the parties. We then located a pickup truck used in the attack. It had been abandoned.”

Originally, the two were going to be charged with robbery, based on information received by police. It is believed the shooting occurred during a robbery of McMillan, but nothing was reported stolen.
Draughon said the victim is “doing well.”