BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – An alleged car thief died Saturday after he was shot multiple times in a shootout with Wilson County Sheriff deputies and a DPS trooper.
Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackitt said the shooting happened around 9 a.m. after deputies chased the man to Highway 181 and Loop 1604.
Chris Jacobs was recording on his cell phone when the suspect opened fire on deputies.
"I grabbed my phone. I pick it up and start recording and I zoom in a little bit and then he starts shooting and they start shooting back, probably about 17, 18 gunshots," Jacobs said.
According to Sheriff Tackitt the suspect has previously stolen a car and fired shots at a house on County Road 150. The suspect then and began driving around Highway 181 and that's when the chase started.
Jacobs believes the suspect had an objective.
"He had a mission. He wanted to die," said Jacobs.
The deputies were not injured, but the suspect was rushed to University hospital where he later died.
Jacobs says he started recording to show everyone that the deputies and trooper did everything they were supposed to and did nothing wrong.
Click to watch raw video of the shooting, warning some may find this video graphic.
"Every one of those cops stepped out of their Tahoe with a gun trained on them with a guy intending to kill them and they stood their ground and kept his attention and fired back at him so he didn't turn and fire at anybody else," Jacobs said.
The Texas Rangers and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office will assist the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation.
The deputies and the trooper have all been put on administrative leave.