On Monday, September 19th at around 3:15 in the morning a high-speed police chase along the Southwest Freeway ended with the death of a suspect. The deadly chase began when police offers attempted to pull over a man driving a vehicle the wrong way on Smith Street.
Houston Police Department Spokesperson, John Cannon, said that the suspect started running red lights after the police first tried to pull him over. He then sped down the Gulf Freeway and continued to head south down the Southwest Freeway. The chase took a dangerous turn when the suspect opened fire on police officers during the pursuit. “He leaned outside the driver-side window and fired multiple shots at the officer. The officer says probably three shots were fired. Thankfully the suspect missed.” said Cannon.
The chase came to an end when the suspect crashed his vehicle into a wall and then a CenterPoint power pole. Investigators believe that the suspect shot himself, which ultimately resulted in his death. Officers never returned fire, and are still unsure as to why the suspect fled from police in the first place.
Thankfully, no pedestrians or other vehicles were injured during this dramatic and deadly chase.
According to Houston Police Department, the chase caused all of the southbound lanes to be shut down at one point, before the tragic end of the chase.
More than 5,000 bystanders and passengers have been killed in police car chases since 1979, and tens of thousands more were injured as officers repeatedly pursued drivers at high speeds and in hazardous conditions, often for minor infractions, a USA TODAY analysis shows. Many police departments still let officers make on-the-spot judgments about whether to chase based on their perception of a driver’s danger to the public.
If you or someone you love has been injured or killed due to a high speed police chase or Houston car accident contact us today. We will strive to ensure that you receive the maximum compensation.
