Prichard Police Officer Arrested on Federal Corruption Charges; Mobile County Sheriff Takes Over Department Operations

Pritchard, AL (NewsRadio 92.3) -- A Prichard, Alabama police officer is facing federal charges after investigators say he spent years using his badge to help drug dealers and violent criminals, conceal evidence in a murder-for-hire investigation, arrange unlawful traffic stops, and accept bribes to keep people out of jail.

Emanuel Naman Dotch II, a sworn Prichard officer since 2014, was arrested Tuesday morning as part of a broader public corruption investigation conducted by the Alabama Homeland Security Task Force. Approximately 30 FBI agents, task force officers, and support staff were on scene for the operation.

A federal criminal complaint filed June 12 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama charges Dotch with conspiracy against rights, deprivation of rights under color of law, conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, bribery involving programs receiving federal funds, tampering with evidence, and extortion under color of official right.

According to a 22-page FBI affidavit, investigators used cooperating witnesses, search warrants, surveillance, and a court-authorized wiretap of Dotch's phone to build the case.

Among the allegations: Dotch was asked to retrieve and destroy surveillance video connected to a 2021 shooting tied to a federal murder-for-hire case. Federal agents later found that video — along with photos and audio recordings — stored in Dotch's iCloud account. The evidence was never turned over to investigators.

In another allegation, a cooperating witness told investigators Dotch agreed in January 2024 to accept $2,500 per trip to transport 15 to 20 pounds of marijuana while acting as a uniformed officer. The conversation was recorded.

Investigators also accused Dotch of orchestrating an unlawful traffic stop outside a Prichard club in November 2025, directing on-duty officers to pull over a vehicle without explaining how he knew drugs and weapons were inside. Body camera footage showed the vehicle was legally parked. The Mobile County District Attorney's Office later declined to prosecute the two people stopped after reviewing the footage and finding an apparent civil rights violation — but not before one spent three days in jail and the other spent 14 days behind bars.

The complaint also accuses Dotch of accepting cash bribes in May to release people from custody rather than arresting them. In one instance, investigators say a cooperating witness handed Dotch $400 in a controlled bribe payment while under law enforcement surveillance.

In the wake of Tuesday's arrest, Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood announced the Sheriff's Office would take over all law enforcement operations in Prichard. All 911 calls have been rerouted to the Sheriff's Office, and evidence currently held at the Prichard Police Department is being cataloged and transferred to the Sheriff's custody.

Blackwood said dozens of criminal cases — ranging from murder on down — could be directly impacted by Dotch's alleged misconduct and said some previously dismissed cases may be re-examined and potentially re-indicted.

"There are dozens of cases that will be directly impacted," Blackwood said. "The indirect impact is all of the cases pending out of the city of Prichard." FBI Special Agent in Charge Chris Flowers called the allegations a serious breach of public trust.

Mobile County Sheriff Paul Birch said his office does not yet know how long they will be running operations in Prichard, calling the situation fluid. Prichard Mayor Carletta Davis said she is fully cooperating with investigators and urged residents to stay calm.

"The darkest hour is just before daybreak," Davis said. "Our community is strong, and we will get through this."

Dotch's initial court appearance was scheduled for 2:30 Tuesday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brad Murray. Federal prosecutors have moved to detain him pending further proceedings. The case is expected to be presented to a federal grand jury for indictment later this month.

Investigators say the alleged misconduct may involve other Prichard officers, and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit tips.fbi.gov. Tips can be submitted anonymously.