Dothan woke up to heartbreak Friday morning after a violent robbery turned deadly along one of the city’s busiest roads. Wesley Blake Bowen, 33, lost his life in a shooting that ended with his car sinking into a retention pond on Ross Clark Circle. What first looked like a strange traffic accident quickly became something far darker.
Just before 10 a.m., emergency calls flooded the Dothan Communications Center. Callers reported a vehicle that had crashed into a retention pond in the 2700 block of Ross Clark Circle. Police and rescue crews rushed in and found the car partially underwater, drawing stunned looks from drivers and nearby residents.
When officers checked the vehicle, they realized the driver was already dead. A closer look revealed Bowen had been shot. In that moment, the case shifted from a crash investigation to a homicide scene, and officers locked down the area as detectives stepped in.
Witnesses told police they saw a Black male running away shortly after the crash. Those statements triggered an urgent search of nearby neighborhoods. Investigators also began pulling surveillance video from the area, piecing together what happened in the final moments before the car left the road.
Bowen was identified at the scene as the victim. Not long after, officers spotted a man on Stonewood Drive behind Farrah Circle who matched witness descriptions and video evidence. He was identified as 24-year-old Michael Tywuan Taylor of Ozark. Police say they recovered a jacket and a handgun near where Taylor was found.
Investigators believe Bowen and Taylor were riding together when a suspected robbery unfolded inside the car. Police say Taylor allegedly pulled out a gun and shot Bowen. Wounded and unable to control the vehicle, Bowen’s car veered off the roadway and crashed into the retention pond, where it came to rest.
Taylor has now been charged with capital murder during a robbery and is being held without bond. Police praised community members for sharing information that helped lead to the quick arrest. The investigation is still active as detectives continue working to fully document what happened on that quiet Friday morning.
