Police wound driver of wrecked car who came at them with children in the back seat
A suspect is recovering from gunshot wounds and two officers have been placed on administrative leave after an officer-involved shooting in south Garland on Friday.
The suspect, Thomas Christopher Irwin, 30, of Garland, was recovering in the hospital on Saturday and is expected to survive and two children in the vehicle when shots were fired were not physically injured, according to police.
A preliminary investigation indicates that Irwin is suspected of being under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident, police said. Once released from the hospital Irwin will be taken to jail where he will face driving while intoxicated and endangering a child charges, according to police.
The incident began while two officers were stopped in traffic at West Miller and Saturn roads about 6:30 p.m. They heard a crash behind them and then saw that a white Ford Explorer had crashed through a fence at a cemetery and hit a tombstone.
The officers got out to investigate and the vehicle backed out of the cemetery and began driving toward them, a news release from Garland police stated. Both officers tried to get out of the way and fearing for their lives shot the driver, the release said.
The driver fled, leading the officers on a chase of about a mile before stopping in a business parking lot in the 2600 block of South Garland Avenue, police said. Officers arrested the driver and saw two children, ages 11 and 4, in the back seat of the Ford, the release stated.
The officers did not realize the children were in the vehicle when they fired, according to the release. The driver suffered two gunshot wounds and was taken to a local hospital. The children and officers were not injured.
Both officers were placed on paid administrative leave in accordance with departmental policy, the release said. Members of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office Public Integrity Unit responded to the scene to investigate.
Mitch Mitchell: 817-390-7752, @mitchmitchel3
This story was originally published June 9, 2018 at 1:37 PM with the headline "Police wound driver of wrecked car who came at them with children in the back seat."