Officer shot by man using family member as ‘human shield’ in Texas standoff, cops say

A Texas man used his family for cover while shooting at police during a standoff, according to the Borger Police Department.

Officers responded to a domestic disturbance call in Borger — a small town roughly 50 miles northeast of Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle — at 5:25 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 19.

But upon arriving at the home on the 1300 block of Yows Street, the situation quickly turned violent, Borger police said in a release.

Using a family member as a “human shield,” an armed man later identified as 38-year-old Gerardo Rodriguez opened fire on police, striking one officer in the torso and arm.

“Thankfully, the officer was wearing his department-issued body armor, and his vest absorbed most of the impact,” police said.

A fellow officer returned fire but Rodriguez wasn’t hit, according to the release.

Police took Rodriguez into custody and he is facing charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against a peace officer and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against a family member.

“The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may follow,” the department said, adding that Rodriguez has been booked into the Hutchinson County Jail.

The wounded officer was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries and was later released.