Robbery suspect turns self in to police

FLORENCE - A man wanted for questioning in the Tuscumbia robbery in which a piece of the robber's nose was bitten off turned himself in Thursday morning to Florence Police on outstanding warrants, officials said.

Florence officials charged William T. Cole, 40, Carver Heights, Florence, with first-degree theft of property. He is also being held on three other warrants from Lauderdale County - one for failure to appear in court and two for bond revocation.

Tuscumbia officials said first-degree robbery warrants were issued Thursday in regards to a robbery that occurred Monday at a residence on John Street.

Officials said a man, who is suspected to be Cole, robbed two men at their house in the 900 block of John Street just after 11:30 a.m. Monday. The robber and the men struggled. During the struggle, one of the men bit off a piece of the robber's nose.

"We got a lot of calls since the incident took place and as we followed up the leads, everything pointed to Cole as a possible suspect," said Tuscumbia detective Sgt. Jeremy Williams.

Police had been looking for Cole since Monday for the outstanding warrants from Florence as well as to talk with him about the Tuscumbia robbery.

Williams said the last known address on Cole was in Carver Heights, but they had information that he was staying in Sheffield as well as in Tuscumbia.

Authorities said Florence Police made contact with members of Cole's family Wednesday and urged them to have Cole turn himself in.

In the Tuscumbia robbery, reports indicate two men who were at the residence behind Deshler High School were in the living room. One man was asleep, the other sitting inside, when the robber opened the door and walked in.

Detectives said the men told authorities the robber walked through the living room past them and into a back room where he grabbed one of the men's coats and started walking out when one of the men confronted him.

Reports indicate the robber had an open knife in his back pocket and held a small screwdriver in his hand when the struggle started.

While they were struggling, the second man, who was asleep, woke up and got involved in the struggle by grabbing a knife and putting it to the robber's crotch.

The man who initially started struggling with the robber then bit off the tip of the robber's nose, officials said.

Police say the robber fought free when one of the men went to a bedroom to get a shotgun.

Cole was in the Lauderdale County Detention Center without bail Thursday.

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.