On Friday night, January 24th, a Bexar County Sheriff's Office gang unit deputy patrolling northeast Bexar County as part of an ongoing violent crimes task force heard gunshots coming from the area between Walzem Rd and Montgomery Dr. at around the same time that San Antonio Police officers were responding to a shooting in the same vicinity.
Upon hearing the gunfire, the deputy observed a vehicle fleeing the area at a high rate of speed and attempted to make a traffic stop. After calling out her location, the suspect vehicle entered a retail parking lot, then re-entered the roadway and continued driving recklessly. Despite the deputy's efforts to stop the vehicle, the driver accelerated toward the intersection of Walzem Road and IH-35, where the vehicle lost control and collided with a light pole.
The crash caused the driver's side door to shear off, and the driver, a 43-year-old woman, was ejected from the vehicle and died almost instantly. The 19-year-old male passenger fled the scene on foot but was apprehended shortly afterward by deputies. The male suspect was taken to the hospital for treatment but attempted to escape while undergoing medical care. He was subdued by deputies using a taser.
The 19-year-old passenger now faces misdemeanor charges of evading arrest and felony charges of escape. A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered an AK-style rifle with a high-capacity magazine, one live round in the chamber, and the weapon appeared to have been damaged in the crash.
Investigators discovered a connection between the deceased driver and the female victim in the shooting being handled by San Antonio Police.
In accordance with protocol, the three deputies involved are on administrative leave while the investigation continues. The deputy who initiated the pursuit has been with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office for 10 years. The relationship between the deceased driver and the 19-year-old male passenger remains unclear.
