BEAUMONT — A Louisiana man was fatally shot by a Texas State Trooper just west of Beaumont Friday night after pointing a gun at the officer.
Edward Gomez, 46, of Kenner, was pronounced dead at about 11 p.m. Friday night at a Beaumont hospital according to a news release from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
A Texas DPS trooper attempted to stop Gomez, who was driving a Subaru passenger car, for a traffic violation at about 10 p.m. Friday night along westbound Interstate 10 the release said.
Gomez fled and led the trooper on a brief high-speed chase before he lost control of the vehicle and ended up in a ditch near mile marker 835 west of Beaumont the release said.
When Gomez exited the car he pointed a handgun at the trooper who shot him according to the news release.
The trooper was not injured.
The shooting remains under investigation according to the release.
From a Texas DPS news release...
At approximately 10:00 p.m., on November 30, in Jefferson County, a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Trooper attempted to stop a Subaru passenger vehicle on I-10 for a traffic violation when the driver fled from law enforcement.
The driver of the white Subaru passenger vehicle continued evading while traveling westbound on I-10 at a high rate of speed. After a short distance, the suspect lost control of the vehicle, west of Beaumont near mile marker 835, and crashed into a ditch near the Interstate. Based on the preliminary investigation, after exiting the vehicle, the driver pointed a handgun at the DPS Trooper; the Trooper fired at the suspect, striking him.
The 46-year-old suspect, Edward Gomez from Kenner, Louisiana, was transported to an area hospital and pronounced deceased at approximately 11 p.m. by emergency room personnel.
The Trooper was uninjured during this incident.
This is an ongoing investigation. No additional information is available at this time.
