Update: The suspect who pulled a weapon on officers on the evening of Sunday, January 22, remains in critical condition at a local hospital. The 36-year-old male is facing a charge of First Degree Felony Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer that carries a bond of $1,000,000. Three other charges are pending. His name is being withheld at this time.
"Our officers do their best to avoid circumstances where lethal force has to be used. In this instance, a man appeared to be entering a vehicle that contained what looked like drugs - and then placed a child inside that vehicle. Our officer announced himself and gave specific orders that were ignored. The result was a man pulling out a stolen handgun from the back of his waistline, and he was shot.
In law enforcement, when a split-second decision has to be made, we hope we have trained well enough to protect the community and officers alike. We understand that we will be judged based on the facts involved with an incident. Our department makes it a point to gather and release those facts in an expeditious manner to the extent we legally can.
We ask our Citizens to keep all involved in this incident in their thoughts and prayers for healing.
We await the outcome of an independent investigation being conducted by the Department of Public Safety- Texas Rangers. It is understandable that this investigation may take some time.” – Chief Marcus Dudley Jr.