Cedar Hill police shoot man who shot medical clinic doctor
CEDAR HILL, Texas - A man suspected of shooting a doctor inside a Cedar Hill medical clinic is in critical condition after being shot by officers.
Police got the initial call around noon Tuesday about an active shooter at the Methodist Family Health Center.
Cedar hill police aren’t yet saying what led to the shooting or if the suspect fired first at police.
"At approximately 12:17, officers were dispatched to a subject with a gun at 950 E Beltline Road at the Methodist clinic. At 12:18, dispatch heard a gunshot. At 12:21, the first officer arrived on scene, and he observed a male victim on the ground with a gunshot wound," said Cedar Hill Police Chief Ely Reyes.
Reyes read a brief statement to reporters about the clinic shooting and the police shooting, but he would not address many details and refused to answer questions.
Reyes did say a doctor from the clinic was injured during the shooting but did not specifically say the doctor was the gunshot victim. He did say one of the arriving officers saw the suspected shooter leaving the clinic.
"Another officer observed a Black male with a long gun leave the scene in a black Chrysler 4-door," he said.
Barber Johnny Bellard witnessed police chase the suspect by car.
"We saw some police cars shoot past us. It was like one after another after another going pretty fast," he said.
Authorities say the suspect driving the black Chrysler crashed about two blocks from the clinic about one minute after it was seen leaving the clinic. Police said nothing about the details of the crash.
"We saw the black Chrysler coming down the street, and the cops were chasing them. We saw them fly through the intersection, and we saw them crash," Bellard said.
"They observed the suspect inside the vehicle with a long gun, and the officers discharged their firearms at the subject," Reyes said.
Video shows the black Chrysler riddled with bullets.
"Five officers discharged their firearms. The suspect was removed from the vehicle, and officers began life-saving measures until EMS arrived," Reyes said.
Police did not address what, if any actions, the armed driver took after the crash or whether police gave him any commands or whether commands were ignored.
"We saw the guy get out, and they started shooting. And so we had to duck, get down on the ground cause it got a little crazy out there," Bellard said.
Police also never said if the suspect fired at them.
"The suspect did have a long gun on his person when officers removed him from the vehicle," Reyes said.
One civilian driver was involved in the crash and taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
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FOX 4 contacted the clinic for comment, and they referred all questions to law enforcement.
Cedar Hill’s police chief says body cameras and footage from multiple cars will be reviewed as part of the investigation.