KAUFMAN, Texas — A police pursuit in Kaufman ended in an officer-involved shooting on Wednesday, July 15, 2015, according to the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) who is assisting in the investigation.
KAUFMAN, Texas — A police pursuit in Kaufman ended in an officer-involved shooting on Wednesday, July 15, 2015, according to the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) who is assisting in the investigation.
Police were attempting to locate a red Mack 18-wheeler hauling a flatbed trailer for a theft at a nearby convenience store. Minutes later the Kaufman County Sheriff's Office received a call about an 18-wheeler matching the description bumping a vehicle into an intersection near Farm-to-Market 987, according to KCSO Captain Fred Klingelberger.
Officers located the suspected 18-wheeler and engaged in what police described as a slow-speed pursuit. The chase came to an end on West Fair Street, which serves as the U.S. Highway 175 service road, in between South Jefferson Street and South Jackson Street.
Klingelberger says officers set up spike strips and deflated the 18-wheelers left front tire. As the 18-wheeler was making a turn onto West Fair Street, he allegedly swerved towards an officer on the street, at which point, Klingelberger says the officer fired and struck the suspect twice. The officer has only been identified as an officer with the Kaufman Police Department.
The suspect, identified as Chris Donlee Mathis of Mabank, Texas, was taken by CareFlite medical helicopter to Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, with a gunshot wound to the head and forearm. A 2 p.m. update from Klingelberger indicated the wounds were non-life threatening.
The 18-wheeler was later reported stolen from a local business.
The shooting remains under investigation by the Kaufman Police Department, Kaufman County Sheriff's Office, Kaufman County Constable's Office, and the Texas Rangers.
The Kaufman County Courthouse was briefly placed on lockdown becuase the 18-wheeler reportedly circled the courthouse several times while honking its horn.
This is a developing story.
