MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The family of a retired Wilcox County deputy who was working as a constable could be the first person to receive compensation under a change in state law made earlier this year.

The Alabama Constable’s Association says survivors of Constable Madison “Skip” Nicholson could be compensated under a law passed earlier this year that included constables as peace officers eligible for death benefits. The 78-year-old Nicholson was fatally wounded and a deputy was shot in a confrontation that left a suspect dead in tiny Yellow Bluff.

State police say Nicholson died in the line of duty.