MONTGOMERY, Ala., April 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Following his sudden death after being caught in the middle of a police hot-pursuit crash nearly two years ago, flags in Montgomery were lowered to half-staff in memory of beloved Police Chaplain, Pastor Antonio L. Seales; he was lauded as a “cherished and respected figure, known for his impeccable character and compassionate heart.” While the Seales family deeply appreciated the outpouring of love, today they are frustrated and perplexed – so much that they have engaged civil rights lawyers at Grant & Eisenhofer – by the lack of police cooperation as they seek answers and accountability in what they now believe was the Pastor’s wholly–preventable death.
(Chaplain-Pastor Seales was affiliated with the Department since 2013: Photo: MPD)
“We are honored and humbled to represent the family of Pastor Seales, the renowned, former chaplain of the Montgomery Police Department and the iconic founder of the pioneering community policing initiative Operation Good Shepherd,” said Pennsylvania-based civil rights attorney Elizabeth Bailey of Grant & Eisenhofer. “It is beyond ironic that Pastor Seales’ family – who believed for years they were part of greater Montgomery’s police family – has to turn to legal counsel to help get answers to their most basic questions about this chase and any police hot-pursuit policies and practices that may have been violated, contributing to the 51-year-old clergyman’s tragic death.” Attorney Bailey said that for a year the Firm has been trying, without success, to obtain police reports, dashcam videos and radio communications, and other ‘public’ information that can shed light on how Greenville and other participating police departments conducted their high-speed pursuit along I-65, of someone Greenville Police Chief Justin Lovvorn described in published reports as a retail theft suspect, on May 10, 2024.
Pastor Seales died on May 21, 2024, as a result of the catastrophic injuries he sustained in the crash with the suspect’s car (the suspect, who is awaiting trial, was charged with reckless murder and third-degree retail theft). At the time, Pastor Seales was driving home after picking up a take-out for dinner.
(Chaplain-Pastor Seales’ sedan after it was struck by the ‘retail theft’ suspect’s vehicle – Photo: WSFA-TV)
While Grant & Eisenhofer continues to press for copies of official records and related evidence of the incident, the Firm is also issuing a public appeal for any information about the chase, including but not limited to eyewitness accounts, photos, and videos that could aid its investigation.
Contacts:
Elizabeth Bailey / [email protected] / 302-622-7195
Steph Rosenfeld / [email protected] / 215-514-4101
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b784aa9f-1dd8-49c6-b1c5-ee9a318008f2
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ef59a6fe-f4c6-4734-b49a-122748aa4414
