This story has been updated on March 1 , 2017. See more recent story here.
The Kyle Police Department is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred after a 20-year-old man fled from a traffic stop in the Steeplechase subdivision.
Kyle Police Chief Jeff Barnett said no one was injured in the incident, but charges are expected to be filed against the suspect, who has been identified as Javier Hernandez of Hays County.
Barnett said the incident began around 7:30 p.m. Saturday when police conducted a traffic stop along Brandi Circle in the Steeplechase subdivision for a driver who they suspected of Driving Under the Influence (DUI).
When police initiated the stop, Barnett said the suspect, later identified as Hernandez, immediately fled the scene at a high rate of speed. Hernandez drove through neighborhood streets, bypassing stop signs and narrowly avoiding two vehicles before leaving the roadway and driving into a ditch near the Brandi Circle and Goforth Road intersection.
As the officer exited their patrol car, Hernandez reversed his vehicle toward the officer, who then fired “multiple” shots with their handgun at Hernandez' vehicle, according to a release. It’s unknown at this time how many shots the officer fired.
Hernandez then fled the scene again and narrowly missed hitting an arriving police cruiser head-on, Barnett said. In a statement, Barnett said officers saw the vehicle was on fire from underneath the carriage.
Police followed Hernandez, who drove for roughly 1.5 miles before stopping in front of a home in the 400 block of Masonwood Drive.
Barnett said Hernandez stopped the car, exited his vehicle and fled on foot before he was apprehended by law enforcement. Kyle Police helped extinguish the car fire.
Both the officer and Hernandez were taken to a local hospital for observation. The suspect was not shot in the incident and no one else was hit by the gunfire, Barnett said.
Kyle Police are charging Hernandez with Driving While Intoxicated, Evading Arrest or Detention with a Vehicle, Aggravated Assault on a Public Servant, and a second charge of Evading Arrest or Detention for fleeing the scene on foot. He will be booked into the Hays County Jail, according to the release.
The incident remains under investigation. We will provide updates to this story as information becomes available.
