A man died early Wednesday following a confrontation that included a vehicle crash, a foot chase, and an exchange of gunfire with Round Rock police officers on I-35, authorities confirmed. The incident, which marks the first officer-involved shooting of the year for the Round Rock Police Department, occurred near Westinghouse Road after a 911 call around 9:40 p.m. reported an erratic driver. According to CBS Austin, the man crashed his vehicle into a field adjacent to I-35 and subsequently fled into nearby woods.

Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks, in a press conference covered by KXAN, detailed that a police drone located the suspect in the woods where he began shooting at officers and the drone. Officers initially held their fire due to the concealment provided by the nighttime woodland. The department's SWAT team was then dispatched to manage the situation.

During a subsequent confrontation with officers, gunfire was exchanged, and indications suggest the man may have also suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The precise cause of death is pending an autopsy. The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative duty, as per standard protocol in such occurrences. There were no officer injuries reported during the event.

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene which included the Georgetown Police, Cedar Park Police, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. The Texas Rangers, alongside the Round Rock Police Department, are conducting an ongoing investigation into the shooting, as was stated in a press briefing obtained by CBS Austin. The identity of the deceased has yet to be released publically.

The southbound lanes of I-35 at Westinghouse Road were closed following the incident but subsequently reopened before midnight. The Round Rock Police Department had not reported any other officer-involved shootings in the preceding year, 2024, making this incident an aberration in a period of relative quiet with respect to such occurrences