A Killen man linked to an attempt to rob a store in Sheffield is in custody after leading police on a pursuit Monday night in which a Colbert County sheriff’s deputy fired shots after the suspect rammed a patrol car.

John Alex Myatt, 36, 50 Savannah Drive, was taken to the Sheffield City Jail on Monday night, authorities said.

Colbert County Sheriff Ronnie May said Myatt is charged with first-degree attempt to commit assault, and bail is set at $75,000. Hyatt remains in Sheffield’s jail and will be transferred to the Colbert County Jail today.

Additional charges could be filed by other agencies involved in the case.

May said nobody was injured in the incident. He said officers received a call about the pursuit at 9:48 p.m.

Acting Sheffield Police Chief Dewey King said Myatt attempted to rob a Shell convenience store on East Second Street with a pocket knife, but fled when they refused to give him money.

May said the pursuit went from Sheffield, through Muscle Shoals and into the county before ending in Leighton.

“Some of their units attempted to stop the suspect, and he fled in a 2004 Chevrolet Colorado,” he said.

A deputy joined the pursuit when it left Muscle Shoals, May said. Myatt turned onto Jarmon Lane and onto a road identified as Park Place.

“When he got there, officers followed him and the guy rammed the officer’s car twice and the officer fired several times, not hitting the suspect,” May said.

Some shots hit Myatt’s vehicle, the sheriff said.

By then, Leighton police were involved in the pursuit, which again led onto Jarmon Lane, May said. Myatt was headed toward County Lane Road, but Alabama state troopers had placed spikes on the street.

“He hit the spikes and traveled across County Line Road into a ditch and was taken into custody without problem at that point,” May said.

The sheriff said officers saw Myatt raise a handgun as though he was going to fire it more than once during the pursuit. Officers found no gun in the vehicle, so they are checking the path of the pursuit in an effort to locate a weapon.

“We know what location he last was seen with the weapon and we’ll check from there to the pursuit termination to see where he threw it out,” May said.

A county and a Leighton patrol vehicle were damaged. Both were towed and estimates are being conducted.

Bernie Delinski can be reached at 256-740-5739 or bernie.delinski@TimesDaily.com.