Suspect Captured After Harris County Deputy Shot, Patrol Car Stolen
A man accused of shooting a Harris County sheriff's deputy and then driving off in a patrol car is in custody after an overnight manhunt in east Harris County, Texas, authorities said.
Chase Layne Patin, 25, was found hiding in a backyard shed in Channelview on Thursday morning, October 1, more than 12 hours after the shooting. He now faces five felony charges.
A Family Disturbance Call Turns Violent
The shooting happened around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 30, when deputies with the Harris County Sheriff's Office responded to a family disturbance call in the 1100 block of Bayou Drive in Channelview, near the East Freeway.
When deputies arrived, they encountered Patin "firing a gun in their direction," according to charging documents cited by KPRC 2. Deputy Javier E. Perez-Garcia was shot in both legs and suffered additional injuries. Another deputy was fired on twice as she got out of her patrol vehicle, and more shots were directed at a sergeant and a fourth deputy.
Investigators said Patin then fled the scene in a sheriff's office patrol SUV. The vehicle was found a short time later on Dell Dale near the East Freeway, but Patin was not inside.
Perez-Garcia was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center, where he underwent surgery. He was listed in stable condition and is expected to recover. Officials said he was in "good spirits."
Residents Help End the Manhunt
Deputies, U.S. marshals and local constables searched through the night for Patin, who was considered armed and dangerous. A Blue Alert was issued Thursday morning, asking the public to watch for him and call in tips.
Those tips paid off. Residents reported hearing dogs barking and seeing someone who might be hiding in a shed or a nearby wood line, according to CBS Austin. Deputies found Patin in a shed along a wood line behind a home off West Brentwood in Channelview. Authorities said he came out with his hands up and was taken into custody without further incident.
Residents of the home were evacuated as a precaution. Investigators said there was no known connection between Patin and the people who lived there.
"The community was a big help," said Lt. Aaron Waybright of the sheriff's office.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez thanked the teams who worked through the night. "I'm grateful for the outstanding work of our HCSO teammates and all of our public safety partners who worked throughout the night to locate and apprehend the suspect," Gonzalez said, according to KFDM.
The Charges
Patin is charged with four counts of aggravated assault of a public servant with a firearm, one for each of the four deputies who were fired upon. He also faces a charge of theft of property valued between $30,000 and $150,000 in connection with the stolen patrol vehicle.
Prosecutors have asked that he be held without bond, according to court records. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday at 9 a.m.
A History of Prior Cases
Patin already had legal trouble before Wednesday's shooting. He has an active, unrelated case for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Prior cases against him involved weapons, DWI and drug allegations, some of which were dismissed or resolved.
According to FOX 26, Patin has four previous felony convictions and had been wanted since July 17 on the felon-in-possession charge. He had been out on bond with a condition that he get a GPS monitor, which he failed to do.
The case is the latest dramatic police pursuit in the Houston area this year. In August, Houston police officers made headlines after jumping into an Uber in the middle of a chase to keep up with a fleeing suspect.
What Is a Blue Alert?
Texas uses Blue Alerts when a law enforcement officer has been killed or seriously injured and the suspect is still at large and believed to pose a threat to the public. Like an Amber Alert, the notice is shared through highway signs, news outlets and phone alerts so that residents can report sightings quickly.
In this case, officials credited that public help with bringing the search to a safe end. Before the five charges were announced, a sheriff's office homicide sergeant had said more charges could follow.
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