An Austin-area man was arrested March 22 after leading authorities on a miles-long, high-speed chase that began when he reportedly assaulted an officer during a traffic stop in Kyle.
Paul Joseph Rodriguez, 45, of Dale, was booked into the Hays County Jail on a felony charge of aggravated assault against a public servant, a felony charge of evading arrest or detention with vehicle and a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance. Rodriguez was also booked on several misdemeanor charges that include failure to identify or give false information, as well as deadly conduct and resisting arrest.
The incident began at approximately 11:40 p.m. March 22 when Kyle Police stopped a white Ford F-150 on Center Street, according to a press release. Police had been dispatched for a suspicious vehicle call in the area of No Name Road and the Interstate 35 access.
When the officer talked with the driver, later identified as Rodriguez, his story allegedly “didn’t make sense.”
According to the release, Rodriguez provided false information to the officer, who then ordered him to step out of the truck. When Rodriguez refused to exit the vehicle, the officer attempted to “help” him out of the truck; Rodriguez then slammed the door on the officer’s arm, causing injury. Rodriguez fled the scene, with two Kyle Police officers following in pursuit and attempting to pull Rodriguez over as he traveled north toward Austin. Several Austin Police units eventually assisted the pursuit.
Rodriguez eventually exited the highway in south Austin, then continued on the I-35 access road toward Slaughter Lane, blowing out a tire in the process, according to the release. The truck then traveled west on William Cannon Drive, going through the Bluff Springs subdivision before coming to a stop in the 1600 block of west Slaughter Lane.
Once the truck came to a stop, Rodriguez fled the scene on foot. At the time, the bed of the vehicle was on fire. Authorities caught Rodriguez after they found him attempting to climb a fence.
During the pursuit, officers said the truck drove at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, disregarded multiple stop signs and traffic signals and traveled on the wrong side of the roadway.
Rodriguez is being held in the Hays County Jail on $55,000 bond.
