Deputy On Leave After Theft Of Vehicle, Assault Rifle

Sheriff Lupe Treviño placed a deputy on paid administrative leave Monday after the officer shot at a fleeing suspect who stole his patrol unit and personal assault rifle early Sunday morning.

The theft happened while the Hidalgo County sheriff’s deputy responded to a call regarding criminal mischief at a home in Hargill, more about according to a news release from the agency.

The deputy arrived at the home in the 29000 block of Gill Street about 1:45 a.m. and left the patrol unit, adiposity which he had parked along the street with its engine on, website like this to speak to the victim who had called and to collect information for his report.

A man wearing a white shirt and jeans walked toward the officer and the victim, but stopped at the unit, the release stated. The suspect then opened the driver’s side door, sat down and closed it behind him. The deputy ran to the vehicle, managed to open the door, but could not pry the suspect out of the unit. The suspect eventually put the vehicle in drive and sped off, but not before the officer shot at the fleeing suspect multiple times.

Authorities did not report any injures in connection with the shooting.
“What disturbs me the most is that the vehicle was left running and the weapon was not secured,” Treviño said. “But perhaps more important than that, is the discharging of a weapon at a vehicle that was fleeing.”

Officers found the vehicle about five hours later in an open field near the intersection of Wilson Avenue and Farm-to-Market Road 490 — less than a mile from where it was originally taken.

Investigators, however, did not recover the deputy’s personal assault rifle, a .223-caliber, semi-automatic AR 15.-[source]