DOTHAN, Ala. — A deadly shooting believed to have stemmed from a robbery has left a Dothan man dead and led to the arrest of a suspect now facing a capital murder charge. The incident unfolded Friday morning and ended with a vehicle submerged in a retention pond along Ross Clark Circle, drawing a large police response and shocking nearby residents.

According to the Dothan Police Department, just before 10 a.m. on January 30, the Dothan Communications Center received multiple emergency calls reporting a vehicle that had crashed into a retention pond in the 2700 block of Ross Clark Circle. First responders arrived to find a vehicle partially underwater and quickly attempted to check on the occupant inside.

As officers examined the scene, they determined the driver was already deceased. A closer inspection revealed the victim had suffered a fatal gunshot wound, shifting the investigation from a traffic crash to a homicide. Police immediately began treating the case as a robbery-related shooting rather than an accident.

Witnesses at the scene told officers they saw a Black male running away from the area shortly after the crash. Based on those reports, officers launched an active search of nearby neighborhoods while detectives reviewed surveillance footage from the surrounding area to identify a possible suspect.

The victim was later identified as Wesley Blake Bowen, 33, of Dothan, who was pronounced dead at the scene. While canvassing the area, officers located a man on Stonewood Drive behind Farrah Circle who matched witness descriptions and video evidence. The suspect was identified as Michael Tywuan Taylor, 24, of Ozark. Investigators also recovered a jacket and a handgun near where Taylor was found.

According to a preliminary investigation, Bowen and Taylor were traveling together in Bowen’s vehicle when Taylor allegedly produced a firearm during a suspected robbery and shot Bowen. Police said Bowen became incapacitated from the gunshot wound, causing the vehicle to lose control and crash into the retention pond. Taylor has been charged with capital murder during a robbery and is being held without bond.

Police credited community members for providing information that helped quickly locate and arrest the suspect. The investigation remains ongoing as detectives continue to gather evidence. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Dothan Police Department at 334-615-3632, Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at 334-215-STOP, or submit an anonymous tip online at P3TIPS.com.