Chase with suspect accused of pointing gun at people ends in fiery crash in SW Houston
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A police chase with a suspect accused of pointing a gun at people came to a fiery end in southwest Houston on Wednesday night.
SkyEye captured video of the suspect's vehicle engulfed in flames on the I-69 Southwest Freeway near Westpark Drive.
The chase happened just hours after Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said the department is now pursuing fewer drivers.
SEE ALSO: 'Too many': HPD Chief Finner reveals revised version of chase policy amid growing number of pursuits
Police said the chase started around 6:45 p.m. near the Westheimer Road exit on I-69.
Officers tried to stop the driver because he was acting erratically and pointing a gun at people, HPD said. He didn't stop, and that's when the chase began.
The car the suspect was driving was also reported stolen out of Dallas, according to police.
During the chase, the suspect crashed into an innocent woman's car. Thankfully, she was not hurt.
It all came to an end when the driver slammed into a pole. His car went up into flames and officers had to break the windows to rescue him from the fire, HPD said.
Police said the suspect ended up with a broken leg.
RELATED: HPD records nearly a two-thirds increase in pursuits over the last year as chase policy changes
Last month, not long after a sergeant's mother was hit and killed by a fleeing suspect, HPD changed their pursuit policy.
During a city council meeting on Wednesday, Finner said officers are initiating far fewer chases with the new policy in place.
"Violent individuals commit crimes in those vehicles, drive-by shootings, everything, so we can't just totally abandon the pursuits, but we are working smarter," Finner said.
Finner went on to say there have been 40% fewer pursuits in the past 30 days since the policy went into effect.
For more news updates, follow Courtney Carpenter on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
