Fort Worth police flooded a neighborhood in North Fort Worth early Tuesday afternoon after officers reported a shots-fired incident.
Police chief Eddie Garcia said they are searching for a male suspect in the area, possibly on foot and possibly armed.
Garcia said the civilian response unit (CRU) was responding to a burglary report on North Juliet Lane when a person across the street started shooting with a rifle, hitting a CRU officer in the eye.
CRU officers are not police police officers and are not armed. They respond to scenes to collect evidence and write police reports, tasks that a sworn police officer does not necessarily need to complete. They do not respond when a suspect is on the scene or likely to return, according to FWPD’s website.
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When police officers responded, they exchanged gunfire with the suspect before he took off running to the west. Garcia said it was not clear if the suspect was hit.
The area around the Summerfield subdivision near Basswood Boulevard and North Riverside Drive is blocked off while police search for the suspect. Police are advising the public to avoid the area and anyone who is there should stay inside.
The CRU officer is at JPS Hospital, awake and talking. Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker confirmed to CBS News Texas’ Jack Fink that he is “miraculously doing well.”
Multiple law enforcement resources are on the scene, including SWAT units. Chopper video from the scene shows dozens of law enforcement vehicles in the area and police blocking access to multiple roads.
North Riverside Elementary School, Fossil Hill Middle School, Vista Ridge Middle School and Basswood Elementary School, all Keller ISD campuses in the area, have been in a secure lockout status since about 12:10 p.m., the district said in a statement. North Riverside Elementary was temporarily under a lockdown. Garcia said the schools will remain in secure status until deemed safe.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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