Houston-area police chase: Alleged bank robbery suspect dies after leading authorities on chase
HOUSTON - An alleged bank robbery suspect is dead following a police chase that started in Dickinson on Tuesday afternoon.
Officials said it all started when League City Police Department officers overheard radio traffic from the Dickinson Police Department about a bank robbery that occurred near Gulf Freeway and FM 517 in Dickinson.
SUGGESTED: VIDEO: Toddlers seen in the middle of I-10 East Freeway after crash
Authorities learned that the suspect was armed with a handgun and fled northbound on South Gulf Freeway in a blue Chrysler van.
Photo from the scene
The van was later located in Webster about 10 minutes later and officers attempted to stop the vehicle. However, the suspect continued driving onto the northbound lanes of Interstate 45 towards Houston.
During the pursuit, officials said a civilian vehicle was involved in a minor traffic collision with the suspect vehicle and a League City Police Department patrol vehicle near the intersection of Cullen Boulevard and Holmes Road. No injuries were reported in that collision.
Houston police later assisted with the pursuit before ending in a crash just before 5:30 p.m. in the 4300 block of Alconbury Lane. The suspect got out of the vehicle with a weapon in his hand, HPD reports. Officer J. Cruz, who was involved in the chase, discharged his duty weapon, but was not injured.
Officials stated it appeared after the pursuit, the suspect took his own life.
Officer Cruz is assigned to the Southeast Patrol Division and was sworn in March 2023.
One witness, who spoke with FOX 26, said he saw the chase occurring.
"I saw the blue van coming. There was a bunch of cop cars behind it," said witness Christopher Uhl. "I heard some shots, then he went down there, he crashed, and that's when I heard some more shots."
The suspect's name hasn't been released.
A man claiming to be his brother showed up at the scene. He was clearly distraught and crying.
League City police say the cash bag stolen from the bank had a tracker that was used to locate the alleged robber's getaway car.
The investigation is ongoing by the Houston Police Department and the League City Police Department is cooperating in the investigation.