Interstate 10 Police Chase, Standoff Has Deadly End

A police standoff on Interstate 10 ended in the self-inflicted gunshot death of a driver who led authorities on a 95-mile chase.

The name of the deceased has not been released. Traffic on Interstate 10 came to a halt between Schulenburg and Engle for about six hours during the ordeal. A minor accident in Schulenburg occurred as thousands of cars and 18-wheelers attempted to bypass the Interatate via US 90.

According to media reports from the Houston area, the incident began in the early morning hours last Thursday when a Harris County Pct. 5 Deputy Constable attempted to contact the driver of a car that was stopped in a roadway. The driver sped away from the deputy and a pursuit ensued.

The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office reported that numerous law enforcement agency participated in the chase as it headed west out of Harris County on Interatate 10. The Sheriff’s Office said the driver fired a gun out of his car at officers in pursuit.

Officers were able to spike the suspect’s tires in Colorado County, but the suspect continued driving on rims. The vehicle entered Fayette County around 4:17 a.m. and finally stopped about a mile west of Schulenburg. The driver continued displaying a firearm, the Sheriff’s Office said. Authorities decided to shut down both sides of the Interstate for the safety of the traveling public.

The Austin-Fayette County Special Response Team (SRT) responded to the scene. Shortly before 9 a.m., the SRT deployed CS gas in an effort to end the standoff.

At that point, the suspect fired his gun and shot himself. It was not clear from initial reports whether the suspect committed suicide or accidentally shot himself.

Traffic on the Interstate started moving again around 10:30 a.m. Look for more on this story in Friday’s paper.