Breckenridge Texan

By Tony Pilkington and Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

Two men were apprehended Wednesday evening, following a high-speed chase that started on the east side of Albany and ended on Breckenridge’s North Harding Street.

According to Stephens County Sheriff Will Holt, a Shackleford County deputy attempted to stop a 2017 Chevy pickup truck for speeding shortly before 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18. When the vehicle did not stop, a pursuit ensued on U.S. Highway 180 between Albany and Breckenridge.

The Shackelford County Sheriff’s Office reports on its Facebook page that the vehicle was going 98 miles per hour in a 75 mph zone. Shackelford County Sheriff Ed Miller, as well as two Shackelford deputies and an Albany police officer were involved in the chase at that time.

As the chase headed into Breckenridge, local law enforcement got involved, attempting to stop the vehicle with spike strips on the west side of town. The fleeing driver evaded the strips by turning south off of West Walker Street onto FM 3099 South and taking back roads. The officers continued the pursuit on County Road 225 (West Elliott Street).

The vehicle turned onto South Harding Street. In the 100 block of South Harding, a Department of Public Safety trooper, a Stephens County Sheriff’s Deputy and a Breckenridge Police Department officer attempted to box the vehicle in with their emergency vehicles, Holt said.

Markings on South Harding Street indicate where shell casings were located after law enforcement officers shot the tires of a fleeing vehicle on Wednesday evening. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

The vehicle then attempted to drive around the emergency vehicles. At that time, the DPS, SCSO and BPD officers fired shots into the tires of the fleeing pickup. With flattened tires in the 100 block of South Harding, the fleeing vehicle backed up and went around the officers’ vehicles, crashing into a Stephens County patrol unit before crossing Walker Street, going onto North Harding Street. It came to a stop in the 300 block of North Harding Street due to the flats.

There were two men in the pickup. The passenger was taken into custody without incident. He was later arrested for Public Intoxication and booked into the Stephens County Jail. Holt said the driver fled on foot for a short distance, running west on West Dyer Street and into the backyard of a private residence.

“The homeowner happened to be walking outside to see what was going on and came in contact with the driver who had fled into his backyard. So, that homeowner began trying to apprehend and hold the suspect, to keep him from running,” Holt said. “He did a good job, and we’re very thankful to that citizen for his help.”

A few seconds after the citizen grabbed the suspect, a Stephens County Deputy came around the corner, chasing the suspect and took custody of the driver in the backyard of that house at about 6:14 p.m. There were no serious injuries reported, Holt said.

The driver was wanted on multiple warrants from multiple jurisdictions, including Shackelford County, Holt said.  He was arrested and taken to Shackelford County Jail, where he was booked on a warrant for Motion to Revoke Community Supervision for the past offense of Unlawful Possession of Firearm by Felon. He will face a multiple new charges there and in Stephens County, Holt said.

“For ramming the deputy’s truck, he will likely be charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon,” Holt said in a news release late Wednesday.

One of the people arrested had connections to Breckenridge, Holt said. Names and more specific charges and other details will be released on Thursday Nov. 19, following the suspects’ bond hearings.

Multiple law enforcement vehicles swarmed into a west Breckenridge neighborhood on Wednesday evening, after a high-speed chase from Albany ended up in Breckenridge. The fleeing vehicle was stopped and the driver and passenger arrested. (Photo courtesy of Ed Miller, Shackelford County Sheriff)

The 100 block of South Harding Street features multiple markings showing where shell casings landed as law enforcement officers shot the tires of a fleeing vehicle on Wednesday evening. Stephens County Sheriff Will Holt said six shots were fired. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Cutline, top photo: The Shackelford County Sheriff’s Office posted a photo on Facebook of the vehicle involved in a high-speed chase from Albany to Breckenridge on Wednesday evening. The pickup was finally stopped in the 300 block of North Harding Street, after several officers shot the vehicle’s tires. (Photo courtesy of Ed Miller, Shackelford County Sheriff)

The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office and the Shackelford County Sheriff’s Office provided the information for this article.