Hulsey family.jpg

Andrew Kyle Hulsey, left, is accused of gunning down his adoptive parents, Sandra and Jeremy Hulsey, the evening of April 21 in their Hartselle home. Hulsey claims he fired on his parents in self-defense. (Morgan County Jail/WAFF 48)

A Hartselle man accused of gunning down his parents in their home last week claimed he did so after both his mother and father attacked him, according to a transcript of his 911 call for help.

An initial court appearance has been set for 9 a.m. May 3 for Andrew Kyle Hulsey, who is charged with capital murder in the deaths of William Jeremy Hulsey, 43, and 37-year-old Sandra Hulsey. The 23-year-old Hulsey, who was adopted as a child by the couple, is accused of shooting both multiple times the evening of Thursday, April 21 in their home at 445 Church Road in Hartselle.

According to court records filed Tuesday, the weapon used was a Walther 9mm handgun.

The Decatur Daily, which obtained a transcript of Hulsey's 911 call following the shooting, reports that he claimed he fired in self-defense against his parents. The transcript, obtained from Morgan County 911, was transcribed by a court reporter the day after the slayings.

"I was attacked by my own parents and my father had a weapon in his hand, and things got out of control from there," Hulsey told a 911 dispatcher, according to the transcript.

Scroll to the end of the story to read the entire transcript.

Hulsey claimed that his father, who was a preacher at Aldridge Grove Church of Christ in Moulton, had a baton in his hand when he shot him. Priceville Police Chief Billy Peebles told the Daily that a telescoping tactical baton was found in the home, but that it did not belong to the preacher.

He would not say if it belonged to the preacher's son. He also declined to say how Sandra Hulsey's death might be considered self-defense.

Her body was found in a hallway, about 10 feet from her husband, who was found on the living room floor, the newspaper reported.

The 911 dispatcher at one point asked Hulsey during the call if his father was breathing.

"No, sir. I rolled him over - I checked to see if he was breathing or not - it is him and my mother. I'm standing outside - I'm - I can't believe this is happening," Hulsey said.

The dispatcher asked if his mother was breathing, and Hulsey said no. When asked if he wanted to try CPR, the young man said he didn't know how to perform it.

The dispatcher offered to walk him through it and Hulsey agreed, but once he was back inside the house, said he could not do it.

"I'm sorry, sir. I can't do this. I can't," Hulsey said.

"Okay. If you don't want to do it go outside and stand on the porch, okay?" the dispatcher told him.

During the call, Hulsey repeatedly begged the dispatcher to tell responding officers that he is no longer armed. When the man asked what kind of weapon he used, however, Hulsey did not want to say.

"I do not feel comfortable divulging any more information over the phone," the suspect said.

He told the dispatcher that he put his weapons, plural, on the hood of his Jeep Liberty, which was parked outside the family's home.

Hulsey stayed on the phone with the dispatcher until a responding officer arrived and could be heard telling him to put his hands in the air and walk toward him.

After being taken into custody, Hulsey also gave a statement to investigators with the Priceville Police Department, whose jurisdiction includes the Hulsey family's neighborhood. The Morgan County Sheriff's Office assisted in the investigation.

A funeral service for Jeremy and Sandra Hulsey is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday at Marion County Funeral Home in Hamilton. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to funeral time, with burial in White House Cemetery.