SAN ANTONIO, TX -- A pursuit of a suspect in Bexar County ended with an officer-involved shooting on Tuesday afternoon.
According to the Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, a China Garden police officer attempted to stop the suspect, a male, and his passenger, a female. The driver refused to comply and the pursuit began.
Bexar County deputies assisted the officer until the pursuit entered Wilson County and the deputies of that county and La Verne police officers joined the chase. The suspect then made a U-turn near Sutherland Springs and headed back to Bexar County.
Deputies then attempted to use spike strips to stop the suspect at the county line, but they were unsuccessful. The officers attempted to use the spikes again and were successful in deflating one of the vehicle's tires.
This caused the suspect to strike multiple patrol cars. The responding deputy exited his vehicle and approached the suspect.
According to Sheriff Salazar, the suspect accelerated toward the deputy which prompted the officer to display his service weapon and shout orders at the suspect.
The suspect continued towards the deputy and struck the officer before hitting his patrol car. The officer alleged the suspect had pointed a gun at him, but it is unclear if he ever fired the weapon.
At this time, the deputy fired several shots in self-defense and struck the suspect in the upper body.
The suspect was transported to Brooke Army Medical Center by EMS in critical condition and underwent surgery. The deputy was also transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The passenger in the suspect was detained and a search of the vehicle resulted in officers finding narcotics. Deputies were in the process of locating the suspect's weapon.
The deputy involved in the incident is a six-year veteran in Bexar County and has been on patrol for three years.
As is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings, the deputy will be placed on administrative leave and administrative duty during the length of the investigation.
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