NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Police from several departments and troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) chased the driver of an 18-wheeler for more than an hour and ultimately ended a standoff peacefully.
The chase began in the Garland area, went into Rockwall County, and at lunchtime was on the Interstate-30 service road in Royse City.
There were more than two-dozen squad cars behind the semi stopped after the service road came to a dead end in the city of Greenville, on the I-30 service road at Highway 67, just before Lee Street.
The standoff took a turn after nearly an hour of the truck being stopped, when an armored vehicle arrived at the scene and was able to pull up directly beside the cab of the semi.
Former SWAT commander Mark Herrera said, “Basically what they’re trying to do is establish a line of negotiation with the driver of the truck.”
Herrera says the move is generally only made under certain circumstances.
“Time is basically on the side of law enforcement, especially if they’ve determined that there is no type of a hostage situation or no imminent threat.”
After sitting beside the truck for several minutes the armored vehicle moved and positioned in front of the semi. An officer then came out of the roof of the armored vehicle and fired two shots, of what appeared to be tear gas
, through the windshield and into the vehicle.
A couple of minutes after firing the shots into the truck, the passenger side door of the semi opened and a dog ran out. Less than a minute later a man appeared at the opened cab door and SWAT officers pulled him out onto the ground.
At some point SWAT members appeared to put some type of drops in the suspect’s eyes, or flush his face with liquid, presumably to help with the effects of the tear gas.
Law enforcement officials had taken up positions along the frontage road and the highway. Traffic freely moved traffic in the westbound lanes of I-30, from the air vehicles on the eastbound side sat motionless, backed up for miles.
The standoff took a turn after nearly an hour of the truck being stopped, when an armored vehicle arrived at the scene and was able to pull up directly beside the cab of the semi.
Former SWAT commander Mark Herrera said, “Basically what they’re trying to do is establish a line of negotiation with the driver of the truck.”
Herrera says the move is generally only made under certain circumstances.
“Time is basically on the side of law enforcement, especially if they’ve determined that there is no type of a hostage situation or no imminent threat.”
While the chase was on the service road in Royse City law enforcement was limiting traffic near the truck and blocking some exits as the semi crossed near.
It appeared that several of the tires on the semi had been damaged as the truck lumbered thorough Hunt County.
The truck, that has Intrade Industries on the side of the trailer, had been reported stolen. Officials with the company have said they aren’t sure where the assigned driver of the semi is, so it’s unclear who is behind the wheel of the semi.
Chopper 11 followed the chase from the air and remains at the scene during the standoff.
This is s developing story and will be updated as information become available.
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