Police ID Suspect in Officer-Involved Shooting, Suspect in Critical Condition

Police have identified the suspect in Thursday afternoon's officer-involved shooting as 54-year-old Gerald Cole of San Angelo. 

Cole, currently in critical condition at a local hospital, caught police attention Thursday afternoon when he threatened a female victim with a firearm. The female victim, who has not yet been identified, then called the police, however Cole left the scene before officers arrived. 

As he continued to make threats via text message, officers remained nearby, and shortly thereafter he was seen circling the area in his red Dodge Ram 1500. 

Police attempted to initiate a traffic stop, however Cole refused to halt. Following a brief and slow chase, Cole came to a stop in the 2500 block of Sweetbriar, where he stepped out of his vehicle brandishing a weapon. He was shot "at least once" by officers after pulling the gun, Chief Vasquez said.

Details on the circumstances and events that transpired during the incident are limited at the moment, as police and the Texas Rangers continue to investigate the scene. 

Cole's vehicle, a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup, which was seen at the scene of the crime with several bullet holes in the door. A San Angelo Police Tahoe also has a bullet hole in the front windshield, however the number of shots fired and their point of origin has not yet been disclosed. 

In order to aid in the investigation, the San Angelo Police Department is asking that anyone who may have recorded video of the shooting please submit those videos to the department for review. This may be done either via email or Facebook message, however Chief Vasquez requests that no one post the videos to an actual Facebook page. 

The police units present at the time of the shooting also have video footage of the incident, however different perspectives may aid in investigation. So far, the department has received a few videos, he said, however none of them show the incident. 

The videos from police units will be uploaded this evening and the crime scene investigation should be done within a few hours, Vasquez said.

Vasquez also stated that the department would not release the names of the officers involved in the shooting, but did allow that they were senior personnel.

Department protocol requires officers involved in this type of incident to undergo counseling and take three-day's leave.

Cole was initially going to be charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, due to the gun threats made toward the female victim this afternoon. As the investigation continues, Cole may receive another charge for the incident involving police. 

The female victim has not yet been identified, however Vasquez said she was not injured in any of the violence. 

The Texas Rangers will take over as lead on the investigation, as is customary in officer-involved shooting situations.