What started as a routine Friday night traffic stop in central El Paso quickly turned chaotic, with police saying a driver steered his car toward a bicycle officer, sparked a neighborhood chase, and then ditched the vehicle before getting picked up on felony warrants days later.
The man, identified as 31-year-old Jacob Wayne Williams, was ultimately arrested and booked on serious felony charges, according to authorities.
Traffic Stop Turns Into Block-to-Block Hunt, Police Say
Around 8:30 p.m. on April 17, El Paso Police tried to pull over a vehicle in the 300 block of W. San Antonio Avenue. When an officer approached, the driver allegedly turned the car toward a bicycle officer and hit the gas, coming dangerously close to striking them, according to KFOX.
Police say the driver then jumped onto a sidewalk along Durango, blew through a stop sign at Franklin Avenue, and kept going into nearby neighborhoods. The vehicle was later found abandoned near a residence in the Sunset Heights area, authorities said.
Investigators obtained warrants for Williams, an El Paso resident, on two felony counts. The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force located and arrested him, and he was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility. Williams faces charges of aggravated assault against a public servant, with a bond set at $50,000, and evading arrest or detention with a vehicle, with a bond set at $15,000, according to police.
Lone Star Fugitive Task Force Brings Suspect In
Authorities say the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, a multi-agency unit that works with local law enforcement to track down fugitives, led the effort to take Williams into custody.
The U.S. Marshals Service notes that the task force focuses on finding and arresting violent offenders and regularly assists city and county agencies across Texas in fugitive cases like this one.
Texas Law Raises Stakes When Officer Is Targeted
Williams is charged with aggravated assault against a public servant and felony evading in a vehicle. Under Texas law, aggravated assault can be prosecuted as a felony and carries stiffer potential penalties when the victim is a public servant, such as a police officer. Using a vehicle while fleeing officers can also bump an evading charge up to a felony.
See Texas Penal Code §22.02 and Texas Penal Code §38.04 for the statutes that set out possible penalties and enhancements, as provided by Justia and the Texas Statutes.
Williams remains in the El Paso County Detention Facility pending court action. Authorities have not announced when he will make his first court appearance, and police say the investigation is still active, with no additional details released so far.
