This local source record summarizes "Jeff Greenhaw / Falkville Metal Man coverage, 18 October 1973", published or preserved by The Decatur Daily / NewspaperArchive.
The same-day newspaper clipping records police chief Jeff Greenhaw's account and the existence of photographs immediately after the reported 17 October 1973 encounter.
Contemporary reporting verifies that the claim and photographs circulated, not the figure's identity; prank and protective-suit explanations remain unresolved.