April 2, 2023
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A former Alabama police officer fatally shot his pregnant girlfriend in the head, then lied to 911 dispatchers that she died by suicide, according to authorities. David McCoy was indicted March 24 on capital-murder charges in the 2022 shooting death of his girlfriend, Courtney Spraggins, and their unborn baby.
Investigators said McCoy shot Spraggins in the head while they were sitting in a parked car outside his Huntsville apartment on Jan. 7, 2022, WHNT reported.
McCoy, 29, was employed as an officer with the Huntsville Police Department at the time of the homicide, but was not on duty when the crime occurred. He called the non-emergency police line to see if the agency had received any reports of gunshots fired in the area and told the dispatcher he had woken up to the sound of gunfire from a small-caliber weapon.
Not only did McCoy tell dispatchers that he believed the woman died by suicide, but told responding officers, “I think I’ve seen her once” and that it seemed like she committed suicide, the New York Post reported.
When investigators arrived at the scene, they found Spraggins, 26, shot in the head in the driver seat of the car. They also found a photo of McCoy in her vehicle.
Courtney Spraggins was pregnant with David McCoy’s child. (Facebook)
McCoy was interviewed for about five hours. By the end of the interview, he admitted, “I did it,” according to testimony at his preliminary hearing. He also tested positive for gunshot residue, police said.
Investigators found a handgun that was not his service weapon along with Spraggins’ cellphone in a closet in his apartment.
McCoy is charged with three counts of capital murder, according to the indictment. The charges include killing a person inside a car, killing a person and her unborn child and killing a person under 14 — the unborn child.
A hearing in the case is scheduled for April 4.
Law Officer article, Jan. 8, 2022
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – An Alabama police officer has been charged with capital murder in connection to the Friday shooting death of his girlfriend, according to reports.
David McCoy, 28, of Madison, was arrested by agents with the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation. The SBI’s involvement was requested by the Huntsville Police Department, and SBI will handle the investigation moving forward after HPD handled the preliminary response, FOX 54 reported.
Huntsville police confirmed that McCoy is on administrative leave, but did not immediately provide further details.
The shooting occurred Friday on Lawsons Ridge Drive while McCoy was off-duty. Sources disclosed to the news organization that McCoy shot his unnamed girlfriend in the head and then called police to report the death. He reportedly told authorities the woman shot herself, FOX News reported.
The sources also said the unnamed female victim just disclosed details to McCoy that she was pregnant, according to FOX.
SBI issued the following press statement:
On Friday, Jan. 7, at the request of the Huntsville Police Department, Special Agents with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) responded to a death investigation at approximately 11 a.m. at Lawsons Ridge Drive in Huntsville.
SBI Special Agents arrested and officially charged David McCoy, 28, of Madison with Capital Murder. McCoy, who is an officer with the Huntsville Police Department, was off duty at the time of the incident.
Nothing further is available as the investigation is ongoing. Once complete, the findings will be turned over to the Madison County District Attorney’s Office. ALEA would like to thank the Huntsville Police Department for their cooperation throughout the investigation.
McCoy was booked at the Madison County Jail on the charge of capital murder and is being held without bond.
