'Gunfight' in Corpus Christi leaves police officer, teen shot

KIII TV
Author: Wes Wilson, Samantha Silva
Published: 4:19 PM CST December 3, 2022
Updated: 12:30 PM CST December 5, 2022


CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Editor's Note - This story has corrected information the Corpus Christi Police Department initially put out saying the suspect who was shot was an adult. The suspect was a 16-year-old.

A Corpus Christi police officer and a suspected 16-year-old car thief shot each other in a gunfight following a car chase, according to the Corpus Christi Police Department.

"The suspect engaged in a gunfight with our officer," said Chief Mike Markle. "The suspect opened fire on our officer. The officer returned fire. Both of them have been shot. Both of them have sustained gunshot wounds."

Markle did not immediately know the condition of either the officer or the suspect but said the officer had been taken into surgery at a local hospital. Later, CCPD put out a release saying "the officer did sustain serious injuries but is expected to recover."

A second 16-year-old and a 19-year-old were also arrested.

The Corpus Christi Police Department said this began just after 3 p.m. Saturday when an officer with the Nueces County Sheriff's Office requested help following a stolen Chevrolet Tahoe down S. Padre Island Drive.

The Tahoe was heading eastbound down SPID but used the U-turn at Rodd Field Drive to head westbound. The truck then crashed just before Airline Road near the Mattress Firm business at 6118 S. Padre Island Drive.

Police say after the truck crashed, three people got out and took off.

"Our officers arrived right after the suspect vehicle as you saw wrecked out in the parking lot," Markle said. "Our officer chased one of those suspects around the 6100 building right there -- 6118 -- into the back where the suspect engaged in a gunfight with our officer."

The other two suspects were also arrested, one by CCPD and one by Nueces County Sheriff's deputies.