One officer was killed and four were injured Thursday in a shootout in a Texas town.
The incident involved a man who barricaded himself in a house Thursday on a residential street in Levelland, about 30 miles west of Lubbock. The wounded officers were taken to Lubbock Hospital.
“The Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office mourns the loss tonight of one of ours, Special Forces Commander Sergeant Josh Bartlett,” the statement said.
Leveland Police Chief Albert Garcia said police were called early in the morning about a neighbor who was behaving strangely and walking around with something like a big gun.
When officers arrived, they noticed a Chevrolet pickup truck on the driveway, which was reported earlier that day by a Texas road patrol bomber. According to Garcia, the driver of the car at the time was driving recklessly and seemed to be “trying to lure” the officer into some kind of confrontation.
The officers did not immediately approach the residence.
“Because we didn’t have much information about whether the weapon was a real weapon, we took precautions,” Garcia said.
“We have started trying to start negotiations,” Garcia said. “We really contacted him, very briefly and for a short time. He was very hostile. At the time, he did not want to meet or talk to Levelland police. “
According to Garcia, a few minutes after the contact, the suspect opened the front door and started shooting at Levelland police officers.
According to police, Lubbock County officers and their special forces team arrived at the scene to provide assistance.
“We appreciate the public’s support at this difficult time and ask him to continue to pray for his family, both blood and blue,” said the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, referring to the sergeant. Bartlett, who was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries and was later pronounced dead.
According to Lubbock County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Casey Davis, the 22-year-old was taken into custody Thursday night.
According to Davis, the man, known as Omar Soto Chavira, was taken to a hospital in Lubbock with serious injuries. According to Davis, no additional information about the injuries was provided, and the investigation was transferred to the Texas Rangers of the State Department of Public Safety.
Levelland is a city of about 13,000 people, located about 30 miles west of Lubbock.