Police chase spanning 2 counties ends with Kerrville officer shooting, killing driver in Fredericksburg

KERRVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — A police chase that involved multiple agencies and spanned two Hill Country counties ended with a Kerrville Police Department officer shooting the driver who was attempting to flee police, resulting in that person’s death.

It started around 1:19 a.m. Tuesday when the Kerrville Police Department officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop for “multiple traffic violations” for a vehicle heading north on Sidney Baker Street, the police department said in a post on Facebook .

According to police, the vehicle fled from the officer, and the officer pursued the suspect north on State Highway 16.

Officers from the Fredericksburg Police Department and deputies with the Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office responded to assist as the pursuit continued into Gillespie County.

Police “successfully deployed” tire deflation devices into the path of the vehicle as it was approaching the city of Fredericksburg. The pursuit continued into city limits until the driver eventually lost control of the vehicle and crashed in the 1100 block of State Highway 16.

Kerrville Police said the driver got out of the vehicle and “charged at the Kerrville Police Department officer, who discharged their service weapon and shot the suspect.”

The Justice of the Peace arrived on the scene and pronounced the driver dead. Their identity is not being released at this time.

The name of the Kerrville Police Officer is also not being released, but the Kerrville Police Department said the officer involved has been placed on paid administrative leave, per its policy.

The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Texas Rangers Division is investigating the shooting.

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