Officer-involved shooting sparks chase

HOUSTON

Matthew James Wolski was in court briefly to hear the charge against him -- aggravated assault on a public servant. He is now being held at the Harris County Jail on a $30,000 bond.

Still in his hospital gown and flip flops, Wolski appeared slightly less frail than he was Monday night when deputy constables pulled him from a dump truck bed after a long chase that involved dogs, and armed officers begging him to surrender.

It all started in a Walmart parking lot on Kuykendahl where deputies were responding to a report that Wolski was following a woman in her car. Deputies told her to pull into the lot, and Wolski followed. When deputies arrived and approached him, they say Wolski tried to run over one of them with his car.

"He tried to go over one of the officers and the officer discharged his weapon two or three times," said Chief Deputy Ron Hickman of the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office.

Wolski did not stop, speeding off with a shattered windshield and crashing on Kuykendahl at Spring Stuebner. He then ran into the woods and led deputies on a chase, until they eventually found him, wounded and dehydrated in that dump truck and took him to the hospital .

Wolski has been charged with attempted aggravated assault of a peace officer.

He has a lengthy criminal record that includes convictions for indecent exposure, receiving stolen property and drug possession. He heads back to court on Wednesday.

Police chase ensues after stalking, shooting

Shots fired, a police chase and then a manhunt with an unusual twist. It all started in a Walmart parking lot with a call for help from a woman who felt she was in danger, which is when police starting chasing a suspect near the Walmart on FM 2920 and Kuykendahl.

Part of that Walmart parking lot was a crime scene. Matthew Wolski, 22, accused of stalking, allegedly tried to run over an officer to get away. He did manage to get away, but his freedom was short-lived.

After a couple of hours on the run in the woods, Wolski's legs were limp and he needed medical attention before heading to jail. His arrest capped off an intense search that included canines, well-armed officers and pleas for him to just turn himself in.

"Come out of the woods, Matt. We're not going to stop till we find you," officers said on a loud speaker during their search for Wolski.

Officers had been after him since spotting his car near the Walmart. Just before 5pm, the Precinct 4 Constable's Office got a call from a man saying his wife was being followed in the parking lot. She was scared and wanted help.

"There were two or three Precinct 4 officers who responded and were able to identify the vehicle," Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Ron Hickman said. "They attempted to get out of the vehicle and stop him, at which point he tried to go over one of the officers. The officer pulled his weapon and discharged his weapon at the car, striking his hood two or three times."

But it didn't stop him. He took off north, eventually crashing into construction barrels, where we could see the bullet holes in his hood. That's where authorities say Wolski bailed out and ran into the woods, where he lost his shoes and socks but still spent a couple of hours on the move.

Officers checked the dump truck at least once. The second time had everyone heading its way.

Once out, Wolski was handcuffed and given water. No one knows what his intention was, but he does have a past.

"This individual does have a history. We actually had contact in this same area for indecency exposure," Hickman said.

Wolski was sentenced to 75 days in jail for that indecent exposure from August 2010, according to jail records. He now faces a number of new charges, including felony evading arrest as well as attempted aggravated assault on a peace officer.