It was a jet taxiing before taking off at Sheppard Air Force Base that may have finally stopped a chase involving a Henrietta man who police officers say stole a Wichita Falls police car.

Darrell Franklin’s following up on yesterday afternoon’s turn of events that began around 4:30.

It started when officers received reports of a man breaking into cars near 5th and Broad.

According to the police report soon after that Officer Michael Goins was convincing 40-year-old James Moore to go back to the Helen Farabee Mental Health Center when, as he searched Moore for weapons at the front left corner of the patrol unit, Moore pushed his way toward the driver’s door and was able to get into the driver’s seat.



The report says officer Goins tried to slam the door on Moore, and tried to keep Moore from shifting the vehicle into gear, but Moore was able to speed away.

It says Goins was knocked to the ground before the vehicle’s left rear tire ran over his left arm causing him severe pain. Police say officer Goins fired a shot at Moore and missed shattering the window of a nearby car and no injuries were reported in that vehicle.

The police report says when another officer arrived Goins was pointing northbound saying Moore had stolen his police unit. That’s when the officer says he started pursuing at speeds of around 90 miles per hour. The officer says Moore struck a small grey pickup causing it to spin out and he says he used his pa system multiple times to instruct Moore to pull over.

The police report says Moore ran through a red light at Sheppard’s main gate from Sheppard Access before running through the metal barricade poles there. Then, while on base it says Moore ran through other red lights before driving onto the flight line where student pilots were doing touch-and-goes.

Police say Moore drove onto the tarmac and a taxi way ramp where he finally came to a stop behind a jet that was taxiing for take off.

“You’re dealing with an individual who did not show any regard for life or property and then when the individual struck our officer with the vehicle, that’s a deadly force situation,” Sgt. Harold McClure, WFPD.

James Moore was arrested for aggravated assault on a public servant, auto theft and evading arrest. Bonds were set at $100,000 for the assault, $10,000 for theft and $5,000 for evading. Moore has a previous conviction for evading arrest in 1995. He also shows an arrest for assault of a public servant in September of last year. That case involved a security officer at the emergency room.