RUSK, Texas — A man who reportedly stole a semi before threatening officials has been taken into custody.
According to the Rusk County Sheriff's Office, around 6 a.m. Monday, the Kilgore Police Department alerted the RCSO a loaded tractor trailer rig had been stolen from their city.
RCSO deputies located the stolen vehicle near FM 1716 in Rusk County and attempted to stop it.
"The driver of the tractor trailer rig then attempted to strike an RCSO patrol vehicle, and a lengthy pursuit ensued," the RCSO said in a statement. "When other RCSO deputies arrived in the area, the driver of the stolen rig attempted to run responding deputies off the road. Several times, the driver attempted to use the big rig as a weapon against RCSO deputies while travelling on FM 1716 and FM 782, and also endangered area motorists during their morning commute.
The RCSO says to prevent residents from being in harm's way, they decided to try and disable the vehicle before the driver reached Henderson.
"After an RCSO deputy shot out tires in order to cause the driver to stop, the pursuit continued through the City of Henderson and the Henderson Police Department assisted with safely blocking intersections," the RCSO said. "The driver of the stolen truck then turned southbound onto State Highway 259 toward Mt. Enterprise. Once south of the City of Henderson, Texas Department of Highway Patrol Troopers also 'spiked' some of the vehicle’s tires. At one point during the pursuit, the driver of the stolen rig called in to RCSO dispatch and stated that he would defend himself by 'shooting back' if deputies shot at his vehicle again.
According to the RCSO, with more tires disabled, the truck came to a stop on Highway 259 just north of FM 1798. After a brief standoff with the driver, the suspect surrendered.
The RCSO says the driver was taken to an ER in Henderson to be medically cleared before being booked into the Rusk County Jail on multiple felony charges. The Texas Rangers are assisting in the investigation.
"The RCSO would like to thank the Tatum Police Department and all the law enforcement officers who assisted in a safe resolution of this dangerous situation," Sheriff Johnwayne Valdez said.