Suspect dies after police chase ends in gunfire on live TV

KHOU-TV, Houston

Show Caption Hide Caption Raw video: Police chase ends in gunfire in E. Harris County CHASE-VO_khou150420150000000372

HOUSTON — Police fatally shot a suspect after a high-speed chase through Houston on live television Wednesday morning in northeast Harris County, Texas.

The suspect has been identified as 41-year-old Trey Shepard.

According to the Houston Police Department, the chase started when a patrol unit tried to pull over Shepard after he made two unsafe lane changes.

The suspect refused to stop and a chase ensued that lasted 30 minutes.

"I can tell you that during the chase the suspect called 911 and was telling the dispatcher he had a child in the car," Harris County sheriff's Deputy Thomas Gilliland said.

Gilliland said the suspect threatened to hurt the child if police didn't back off the chase, but they knew the story was a ruse.



After attempts to slow down the suspect vehicle with spike strips failed, the suspect crashed his car into an SUV. He also slammed into a small white vehicle and sent it spinning.

The female driver of the small white car hit by the suspect was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. A man and woman in the SUV were treated for minor injuries at the scene.

After Shepard stopped and jumped from the vehicle, two officers commanded that he show his hands. When Shepard reached back into the vehicle, the two officers opened fire with 10 to 12 shots, Gilliland said.

The suspect was shot several times by officers and was taken to a local hospital.

"Fearing for their lives that this suspect was reaching for a weapon, two officers did discharge their weapons at the vehicle, striking the suspect and killing him," said Gilliland.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the suspect died from his wounds.

Two schools located near where the chase ended were on lockdown for about 30 minutes before the suspect was subdued.