Police: Suspect uses tire iron to hit armored truck in SW Houston
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A confrontation between a civilian and an armed guard ended in gunfire after an armored truck was sideswiped in southwest Houston.
Houston police say the incident occurred at about 9:30 a.m. Friday near S. Willow and Gasmer. Investigators say a man driving a large, black van sideswiped the GARDA armored transport vehicle. The two drivers pulled over into a parking lot near that intersection and things then escalated.
Police have not said what motivated the confrontation. The driver of the van makes several laps around the armored vehicle before the driver of the armored vehicle gets out, his weapon drawn. The guard gave chase as the pair circled the armored truck. The guard was unable to stop the man as he apparently got in his van and took off.
RAW VIDEO: Attack on armored truck
Moments later, that van returned. This time, eyewitnesses say the driver of the van was yelling.
"I think he's telling him to get out, get out and he won't get out ," said eyewitness Maria Roberson.
The driver of the van now had a tire iron. Eyewitnesses said he used it in an attempt to bash in one of the windows of the armored car. Moments later, the guard shot at that man.
"It just is scaring (sic) when we heard a gun," said eyewitness Maria Roberson.
Bystanders called 911.
Eyewitnesses said the guard was yelling at the other driver not to try to go back into his van. He did anyway and eventually took off.
Police aren't saying what sparked this incident. Whether the driver of the van was initially trying to rob the armored vehicle for any cash inside is unclear.
About six miles away, near the S. Loop West and Almeda Genoa, the manhunt for the attacker came to an end. Police said an alert citizen saw a black van matching the description of the van from the incident. They called police, who came in and arrested the driver without further incident.
Somehow, no one was seriously hurt.
Report a typo to the ABC13 staff
