Sources: Sheriff Shot a Civilian During Junction Gunfight

JUNCTION, TX — The gunfight in Junction yesterday morning involved more than gunfire between law enforcement and the suspect running from an El Paso 7-Eleven murder during a robbery.

According to multiple sources, Kimble County Sheriff Hilario Cantu shot an innocent civilian during the gunfight. The civilian was not killed.

The Kimble County Sheriff’s Office referred us to the Texas DPS for information.

According to the Texas DPS, the shooting of the civilian bystander happened during a vehicle pursuit. DPS said an officer with the Kimble County Sheriff's Office shot at a vehicle similar in appearance to the suspect's vehicle. The driver was taken to an area hospital for medical treatment. DPS said the shooting victim is in stable condition.

The civilian was shot when a suspect, so far not identified, was in a gunfight with at least one DPS trooper and law enforcement personnel of the Kimble County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday morning.

According to the Texas DPS, the gunfight began when a DPS trooper pulled over the suspect in a traffic stop at 10:38 a.m. Wednesday morning on I-10 in Kimble County.

According to the El Paso police, the suspect was the driver of a gray 2016 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck that fled in the wee hours of the morning from a 7-Eleven in the 2100 block of Zaragosa St. in El Paso after the suspect gunned down the convenience store clerk during a robbery there. The truck was owned by the murdered victim, 25-year-old Arbin Iglesias, El Paso police said.

The lifeless body of the store clerk was discovered by El Paso police after being alerted to conduct a welfare check at the convenience store location at 5:38 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to El Paso police.

El Paso police said they had information that the suspect had driven east, out of the El Paso area. A bulletin was issued Wednesday morning to regional law enforcement here to be on the lookout for the suspect.

The DPS said their trooper was conducting a traffic stop on a gray Chevy Colorado on I-10 in Kimble County when the driver of the pickup opened fire on the trooper. The trooper returned fire as the suspect sped away.

Kimble County Sheriff deputies aided as a chase ensued. DPS said the suspect fired on the deputies as well during the pursuit.

The chase ended when DPS and sheriff’s deputies found the suspect dead of what was likely a self-inflicted gunshot wound a short time after the chase began.

The Texas Rangers took over the investigation yesterday. So far the Rangers through the Texas DPS have only released information stating a civilian was shot by a Kimble County Sheriff's Office peace officer during the pursuit They did not identify who that officer was.