Wednesday, October 31, 2001
Chase, shootout end in arrest
By Ken Ellsworth
Reporter-News Staff Writers
A chase and shoot-out on the streets of
Abilene between a Dyess airman and local lawmen ended Tuesday
afternoon at a busy southside intersection without any life-threatening
injuries.
Three people were injured. The most serious injury was an apparently
self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face of Senior Airman Angelo
Taylor, who was bleeding from a mouth wound when he was arrested
and taken to an Abilene hospital.
Taylor had been listed as a deserter from Dyess Air Force Base
since Friday.
Police say Taylor fired several shots at two Dyess Office of Special
Investigations officers, who were injured when their Jeep flipped,
and one shot at an Abilene police officer, who returned fire.
Taylor will probably face attempted capital murder charges. An
unidentified male passenger in Taylor's vehicle was taken into
custody without incident and was being questioned by police, said
Sgt. David Gage of the Abilene Police Department.
The two Dyess officers sustained less serious injuries when their
vehicle rolled. One's injuries were limited to bumps and bruises.
The other officer may have broken a hand and was treated at Hendrick
Medical Center, Gage said.
The incident began at 2 p.m. and ended about 2:45 p.m. after gunshots
were exchanged near the bustling intersection of Buffalo Gap Road
and South 28th Street.
Considering the location, Gage said police were fortunate more
people weren't seriously injured.
"We usually try to take them down in an isolated area. Unfortunately,
he did not let us do that," Gage said of the suspect.
The incident began when the OSI officers began following Taylor,
who was driving a Ford Explorer, after he was spotted near Dyess,
Gage said. While following the suspect, the OSI officers called
for backup from Abilene police.
The OSI considered Taylor armed and dangerous because he had threatened
prior to his arrest not to be arrested without a fight, Gage said.
The plan was for the OSI and police to make a joint arrest in
a safe area.
Instead, with police on their way, the suspect fired at the OSI
officers in the 1400 block of Ballinger Street. At least two of
the suspect's shots hit the OSI officers' vehicle, but not the
officers.
The OSI officers did not return fire, but tried to back out of
the line of fire. Their vehicle struck a curb and overturned.
The suspect and his passenger drove away. Their vehicle was next
spotted on South 32nd Street near Jackson Elementary School by
an Abilene policeman, who gave chase.
The driver turned north on Buffalo Gap Road and four blocks later
fired at an officer who was driving south, Gage said. The bullet
struck high on the left side of the windshield of his police car,
leaving a nickel-sized hole in the glass.
The slug did not penetrate the windshield, Gage said.
The suspect then drove his car over a curb and came to a halt
in the yard of a resident, who was not home. The officer, whom
Gage declined to name, returned fire.
"He fired several times," Gage said. "At least
two of his shots struck the suspect's car."
By that time at least a dozen police officers converged at the
scene. The suspect emerged from the vehicle and offered no resistance.
Taylor is being treated at Abilene Regional Medical Center while
being guarded by armed officers.
In addition to being classified as an Air Force deserter, Dyess
officials are investigating other alleged offenses by Taylor,
said Air Force Capt. David Honchul, the base's chief of public
affairs.
Public safety writer Vivi Hoang contributed to this report.
Contact public affairs writer Ken Ellsworth
at 676-6777 or ellsworthk@abinews.com
Send a Letter to
the Editor about This Story
Start or Join A
Discussion about This Story
Send
the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend:
Copyright
©2001, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps.
Publications
|
