ARLINGTON — A 31-year-old Fort Worth man was recovering from gunshot wounds on Saturday after trying to ram approaching police officers with his car, according to authorities.
No officers were injured.
Eduardo Diaz was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth following an attempted traffic stop, said Lt. Blake Miller, police spokesman.
About 11:30 a.m., an officer tried to stop Diaz for a traffic violation near East Division Street and Stadium Drive.
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Driving a 2003 Hyundai Elantra, Diaz did not stop and the officer gave chase in his police cruiser, Miller said. Another patrol officer soon joined the short chase, according to Miller. The vehicle struck a pole near West Abram and South Cooper streets and while the car was stopped, the two officers approached the suspect on foot, Miller said. The officers saw the car start to come toward them and fearing for their safety, the two officers fired at the car, which then sped north on Cooper, Miller said. The car continued across the median and into the Jack in the Box restaurant parking lot at the southwest corner of Cooper and Division streets. The suspect abandoned the vehicle and ran west from the Jack in the Box, Miller said.
Police caught the suspect in a nearby vacant lot in the 800 block of West Division Street, Miller said.
Diaz has a warrant for theft out of Tarrant County and several charges are pending from Saturday’s incident, Miller said.
Officer C. Huggins, who joined the Arlington force in 2002 and Officer L. Smith, on staff since 2007, have been placed on administrative leave with pay while the shooting is being investigated, standard procedure following a shooting involving police officers, Miller said.
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