Charges filed against 18-wheeler driver at center of hourslong SWAT standoff on I-10 East Fwy

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The man accused of being behind the wheel of a semi-truck that stopped in the middle of the I-10 East Freeway last week has been charged.

Trinidad Cutshall was charged with evading arrest and detention in a motor vehicle.

Records show that the charges were filed on Dec. 30, days after the Harris County Sheriff’s Office identified Cutshall as the driver at the center of the dramatic standoff.

When law enforcement tried to approach the truck, Cutshall reportedly took off, leading deputies on a slow chase.

The semi-truck finally stopped on the side of the freeway eastbound near Sheldon Road after spike strips were deployed and remained there for two more hours. The incident shut down the I-10 East Freeway in both directions.

Amid the chaos, video showed the truck’s tires spinning, seemingly as Cutshall revved the engine.

SkyEye was live over the chaotic scene, capturing the moments SWAT went in with heavy machinery and a K-9 to get Cutshall, who authorities said refused to come out.

Eventually, HCSO SWAT moved in, landing a helicopter on the freeway and using a piece of heavy machinery called “The Rook” to tear the side of the 18-wheeler apart while Cutshall still sat in the driver’s seat.

Investigators believe he had “some level of impairment.” He was seemingly unfazed when deputies deployed tear gas in the truck’s cabin.

SkyEye was live as officers pulled Cutshall out of the truck and onto the ground. His face appeared to be bloody as paramedics put him on a gurney and took him away from the scene in an ambulance.

Officials said no cargo was found inside the trailer of the semi-truck. Investigators also did not find any weapons in the truck during an initial search while it was still stopped on the freeway.

Cutshall sustained lacerations on his face during the standoff and apprehension. After Cutshall received treatment, he was brought to the Harris County Jail and will be scheduled to go before a judge.

It’s unclear when Cutshall will make his first court appearance.