Two Officers Survive After Man Shoots Them From Shed
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
SOUTH FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Two Fort Worth police officers were shot in the Wedgewood section of the city in the 3800 block of Wharton Drive after responding to a suicide call Friday night.
Police confirmed shortly before midnight the suspect was dead.
Police have responded to numerous calls at the home for domestic disturbances involving a father and son. When they responded to Friday night's call, officers found the suspect in a shed in the backyard. He allegedly opened fire on the officers from inside.
One of the officers -- a probationary officer -- was shot in the chest, but was wearing a bullet-proof vest. The other training officer was shot in the arm. Both men survived.
Neighbor Craig Saddler told CBS 11 News he came home from dinner Friday to find the suspect's distraught family outside. Saddler said the shooter is in his 40s.
"The guy's parents walked outside and you could tell the mother looked pretty distraught...upset... just, weakened," he said.
Officials later identified the suspect of the shooting as Martin Craig Fleece. Authorities also identified another deceased person as Carl Fleece, who was Martin Craig's father.
Tweets about the shooting started flying at about 8:50 p.m. Friday.
Images tweeted from the scene showed a tense situation with officers with weapons drawn crouched behind police vehicles.
Both wounded officers were taken to John Peter Smith Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. About a dozen police officers showed their support outside the hospital and helped manage traffic.
Donald Trump also tweeted his support.
Fort Worth police confirmed officer Ray Azucena was released from the hospital late Friday night.
The other officer, Xavier Serrano, remains hospitalized in stable condition according to Fort Worth police.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price released a statement Saturday regarding the incident:
"As mentioned last evening, we are grateful for the incredible men and women on our police force that continually serve to protect the City of Fort Worth. After a long night, we are pleased that Officer Ray Azucena was released early this morning after being treated for wounds inflicted on him and Officer Xavier Serrano after responding to a suicide call from Wharton Drive. Officer Serrano is now in stable condition after receiving excellent top tier trauma care from the medical professionals at JPS hospital.
We are incredibly thankful for the strong community support for our police officers and their families. As a compassionate and strong community, we will continue to equip our officers so they can provide the best protection in the country as we pursue excellence in community policing. Genuine thanks are extended to all who reach out in times when our officers need them the most."
(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
