Alabama, February 25: In a shocking incident, a judge of Alabama circuit court in US was gunned down by his son during a heated argument. As per police, Khalfani Hardwick allegedly shot his father Judge Johnny Hardwick, the presiding judge of Montgomery County’s Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, inside his house in Montgomery after 1 pm on Saturday, February 24. Khalfani who is a history sheeter was identified by police and taken into custody as the prime suspect. However, the reason behind the altercation between the father and the son remains unknown.

According to a report in New York Post, Khalfani Hardwick has  a history of violence, including fatally gunning down a man in 2014. He pleaded guilty to a second-degree assault charge but managed to dodge prison as his father was a presiding judge at that time, said another publication WFSA. US Shocker: California Woman Fatally Stabs Boyfriend Over 100 Times in ‘Cannabis-Induced Psychosis’, Sentenced to Probation and Community Service.

As per local reports, on the day of the incident, the 36-year-old convict purportedly fled the scene in a truck immediately after the shooting. He abandoned the truck five miles (approximately eight kilometres) from the murder spot near a local fire department. Subsequently, he was spotted 45 minutes later by the Alabama police. Khalfani was taken into custody as a suspect, but has not yet been charged with a crime. US Shocker: Pennsylvania Man 'Beheads Father', Shows Severed Head On YouTube; Arrested.

His father, Johnny Hardwick is in critical condition and is undergoing treatment at a hospital. "Judge Hardwick went through at least one surgery and is being treated for the serious injuries", Assistant Chief Wesley Richerson told the publication. Police, however, failed to provide information about the cause of the "domestic incident" and how many times Judge Hardwick was shot.

Judge Hardwick has served on the 15th Judicial Circuit since 2001 and was recently appointed as the president of the Alabama Association of Circuit Court Judges.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 25, 2024 03:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).