Dangerous Armed Fugitive on the Run in Big Spring

BIG SPRING, TX — A Big Spring Police Department officer was seriously injured in a shooting early Tuesday morning.

This was following a pursuit that began at Crossroads Bar and ended near the intersection of Barnes and S. Monticello.

According to the Howard County Sheriff's Office, at 1:50 a.m., Howard County Sheriff’s Department deputies and Big Spring Police officers responded to a report of a man brandishing a firearm at Crossroads Bar on South Highway 87. En route to the scene, dispatch informed officers that the suspect had fled in a dark blue car.

Officers located a vehicle matching the description and attempted a traffic stop, but the driver refused to pull over, initiating a pursuit. The chase concluded when the suspect's vehicle crashed into a fence in the 1300 block of Barnes. Upon being ordered to exit the vehicle, the driver shot at a Big Spring Police officer, who returned fire and sought cover behind a patrol vehicle. The suspect then fled on foot.

Law enforcement has established a strong presence in the neighborhood and is actively searching for the suspect. The public is advised to avoid the area. The injured officer was airlifted to UMC Lubbock with serious injuries. The officer's identity is being withheld out of respect for the family.

The Big Spring Independent School District and Howard College were notified of the active scene and have taken precautionary measures. The Texas Department of Public Safety's Texas Rangers Division is assisting with the investigation.

Authorities are searching for Orlando Montanez, a 42-year-old Hispanic male. 

Anyone with information on Montanez’s whereabouts is urged to contact Howard County dispatch at 432-264-2244 or CrimeStoppers at 432-263-TIPS (8477). Anonymous tips can also be submitted via the “P3 Tips” mobile application or at www.p3tips.com/1277.

The investigation is ongoing, and no further information is available at this time.