FWPD: Armed Driver Was Shot After Police Chase
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 NEWS) - A police chase early Tuesday ended in gunfire and the suspected driver in the hospital. Police told CBS 11 News it began as a traffic stop.
Fort Worth Police Department officials say the situation took a turn for the worse when the female driver elected to flee from officers and the chase ended in a busy Carnival Grocery store parking lot, at Main and 28th street.
"Dude, I was freaking out because people were screaming and came out of Carnival," said Ramiro Prieto, who watched in disbelief as a man and a woman jumped out of a gray Buick Lacrosse and ran away on foot as police cars---sirens wailing---flooded the parking lot. "I wasn't so much worried about the lady because she took off in a different direction and ran back, and when she ran back was when they shot her," he said.
Roxanna Perez was working at the grocery store's gasoline kiosk and remembers watching the route of the male passenger. "[I] looked out this window, and that's when I saw a cop run this way and caught a guy over at O'Reilly's (next door), " she said adding, "And then I heard shooting. Maybe about three gun shots. [Then I] heard a woman scream."
According to police, the incident started when the car failed to pull over at Interstate-35W and Carver, instead fleeing up the freeway to N.E. 28th Street. When the car turned west it ran into a vehicle at the Quik Stop on 28th and Deen. Juanita Salas was serving up breakfast at the location. "I seen [sic] four police cars pass by and all of a sudden I hear, like, this really loud crash. I looked over there and saw like a little bit of smoke coming out." When Salas was asked to describe how loud the crash was she said, "From 1 to 10 -- I could tell you about an 8. That loud."
Fortunately, no one at the Quik Stop was injured as the car continued to flee. But its speed scared other drivers, like Lisa Larraga. "Shooo, they went right past us," she said, estimating the speed was in excess of 100 mph. "I'm surprised she didn't hit anybody because she didn't stop at all. She just went through the first red light, then the next one, then the next one."
The chase did not end with the crash, but gunfire. The female driver, identified only as being 42, reportedly displayed a weapon and was shot by police, according to FWPD spokeswoman Cpl. Tracey Knight. "The female driver exited the vehicle with a gun. Officers pursued the female. Shots were fired and the female was transported to a local hospital."
As of Tuesday evening the woman was listed in critical condition. There are no reports of anyone else being injured in the incident. The officer who shot the female suspect is on routine administrative leave.
The male passenger in the car with the female suspect was arrested for evading arrest/detention. Police are not releasing the identities of anyone at this time.
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