Fort Worth police officers fatally shot a man early Saturday morning after he allegedly attempted to run them over during a high-speed chase on I-820.
The confrontation started at about 4:15 a.m. on Wiman Drive. Officers were looking into a previous shooting when a white SUV sped past them repeatedly at dangerous speeds.
Authorities say the driver tried to hit the officers with the vehicle. This prompted an immediate pursuit that stretched for roughly 15 minutes across Fort Worth streets.
Police finally stopped the SUV with a precision immobilization technique, known as a PIT maneuver, on Interstate 820 northbound near the East Lancaster exit.
After the vehicle came to a halt, the suspect failed to follow officers' instructions. He grabbed one officer's handgun, leading multiple officers to discharge their firearms.
The man died at the scene from his injuries. Officials pronounced him dead shortly after the shooting.
The Fort Worth Police Department confirmed they are probing the officer-involved shooting. "The Fort Worth Police Department is investigating a critical police incident-officer involved shooting that occurred early Saturday morning in East…," according to an official statement from the Fort Worth Police Department.
Local media outlets followed the developments closely. CBS News Texas outlined the entire chain of events from the initial encounter to the fatal shooting. WFAA broke down the 15-minute chase and how the PIT maneuver brought it to an end. The Star-Telegram included remarks from Chief Garcia about the decisions made during the pursuit.
Investigators continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident. Such cases typically involve a thorough review by internal affairs and possibly outside agencies.
The chase posed significant risks to other motorists on the busy interstate. Police worked to contain the situation without further endangering bystanders.
Fort Worth residents expressed concern over the rising number of such incidents in recent months. Community leaders called for transparency in the ongoing investigation.
No information has been released yet about the identity of the deceased or the exact nature of the prior shooting under investigation.
