Dateline: August 16, 2007

Tires shot out to end chase thru two counties

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

An investigation is underway this week after a Brownsville man received a gunshot wound while trying to evade arrest by Donley and Collingsworth county lawmen.

DPS Trooper Daniel Hawthorne said 22-year-old Jose Colon was pulled over in Hedley at 10:24 p.m. Friday for a minor traffic violation by Donley County Constable Tony Sellers; but when Sellers stepped out of his patrol truck, Colon took off north on State Highway 203 toward Quail.

Sellers began pursuit and notified authorities in Clarendon and Wellington. Collingsworth County officers joined Sellers, and the suspect fled on US 83 toward Shamrock. At one point Hawthorn said Colon’s vehicle made contact with a patrol car driven by Collingsworth Sheriff Joe Stewart.

Later, shots were fired to take out Colon’s tires. Upon being taken into custody, it was discovered that Colon had suffered a gunshot wound to his right arm, Hawthorn said. The suspect was taken to Shamrock General Hospital where he was treated and released back into the custody of the Collingsworth County Sheriff’s Office.

Colon was transferred to Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo for further treatment and remained there Tuesday morning. He is facing three counts of assaulting a peace officer and one count of evading arrest with a vehicle, and both charges are third degree felonies.

The Collingsworth County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Rangers are investigating the case.

Stewart was treated and released following the collision and was reported to be doing well but sore.

Colon is also facing a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Randall County, according to a report in Tuesday’s Amarillo Globe-News.