Edinburg Police Shoot Suspect In Vehicle Standoff, Suspect Later Dies
EDINBURG – Edinburg Police ended a stand-off with a man they believed to be armed as he sat in a pick up. Police officers shot the man as he rushed officers.
The man’s name had not been released as of Tuesday evening.
According to Lt. Reynaldo Sepulveda, public information officer with the Edinburg Police Department, the incident started Tuesday morning when Edinburg police received a call about an erratic driver on E. Rogers Road. An officer was dispatched to the area.
The patrol officer spotted the red Silverado pick-up truck and attempted to pull the vehicle over. The driver drove to the 2800 block of Rogers Road, exited the vehicle and ran into the house at that location.
The police officer noticed that the suspect had grabbed an object from the house and returned to the vehicle where the man remained. The officer called for backup and waited while the suspect remained in the vehicle. Nearby Memorial Middle School was put on lock down by the school district as a preventive measure.
After back up arrived, police attempted to get the man to come out.
In an hour-long stand office, the suspect refused to come out.
According to Sepulveda, officers tried numerous times to make contact with the suspect, but he never responded to police. However, police were able to talk to family members who said the suspect had a gun.
At some point, the suspect ran out of the truck, yelling aggressively at the police officers. Edinburg police responded by firing their weapons after it appeared that the suspect had a gun in his hand.
The suspect fell down and officers started to treat the suspect and called for emergency medical units to the scene. The suspect was taken to a hospital where he passed away from his wounds.
Texas DPS officers were also on the scene. The shooting will be investigated by Texas Rangers and the Edinburg police internal affairs department.