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Cedar Hill police have released dashcam footage of a pursuit on Wednesday night that culminated in a shootout, leaving a wanted man critically injured.
Police Chief Ely Reyes stated that plainclothes officers from the department’s Criminal Investigation Division were seeking a man wanted for two felonies when they spotted him around 8:10 p.m. in the 300 block of North Joe Wilson Road.
According to Reyes, officers attempted to apprehend the man, but he managed to enter his vehicle and flee. Marked police cars soon joined the pursuit as it traversed through Duncanville and into Dallas. There, the man exited U.S. Highway 67 at Wheatland Road and allegedly fired at least one shot towards pursuing officers from his driver’s side door.
In a dashboard camera video released by Reyes on Friday, an officer can be seen returning fire through the windshield. The chase concluded when the man exited his vehicle and appeared to continue shooting at police.
Officers from Cedar Hill and Duncanville returned fire, striking the man at least once. Immediate first aid was provided, and the man was transported to a hospital. As of Friday, he remains in critical but stable condition.
Fortunately, no officers sustained injuries during the exchange of gunfire.
Reyes noted that the wanted man had a lengthy criminal record that included charges such as burglary, armed robbery, and felony possession of a firearm. He was also expected to face charges of felony evading with a motor vehicle.
Given that the shooting occurred in Dallas, Reyes mentioned that the Dallas Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit is handling the investigation, with oversight from the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. Additionally, Reyes anticipated an additional charge of aggravated assault on a public servant stemming from the incident.
The Cedar Hill and Duncanville police officers involved in the shooting have been placed on standard administrative leave pending the conclusion of the investigation.