Texas Police Officer Injured When Fleeing Suspect Intentionally Struck Parked Cruiser

A person of interest in an arson investigation is accused of intentionally ramming a Temple police cruiser parked along the roadside during a pursuit, injuring the officer inside.
Source Officer.com News
Oct. 14, 2026
2 min read
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What to Know

  • An arson-investigation person of interest fled a traffic stop in Killeen, leading Bell County authorities on a pursuit Tuesday morning.
  • During the chase, investigators say the suspect intentionally rammed a parked Temple police cruiser that had moved aside for the pursuit, injuring the police officer inside.
  • Both the officer and the suspect were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and the crash remains under investigation.
Bell County, TX, Sheriff's Office
A Temple police cruiser was damaged when a fleeing suspect allegedly crashed into it

A fleeing person of interest in an arson case crashed into an occupied Temple police cruiser during a chase Tuesday, sending both the officer and suspect to the hospital.

Key Takeaways

  • Most crashes involved responding to calls or patrols, with some incidents linked to high-speed pursuits and distracted driving.
  • A notable number of struck-by incidents occurred during night hours and at crash scenes.

Check out this story for more about traffic-related dangers.

A person of interest in an arson investigator is accused of a fleeing a traffic stop Tuesday and intentionally ramming a parked occupied Texas police cruiser, injuring the officer inside.

The incident happened shortly before 11 a.m. when a Bell County Precinct 4 constable spotted a person of interest in an arson investigation in Killeen, the Belly County Sheriff's Office stated in a news release. The deputy tried to pull over the suspect, who fled, kicking off a chase.

This was the second pursuit that day involving the suspect. A Killeen police officer had pursued the suspect earlier but ended it when "high speeds through residential neighborhoods created an unnecessary danger to the public," according to the sheriff's office.

A Temple police officer in the area heard a radio alert concerning the second chase about 15 minutes after it started, a police department news release stated. The officer pulled over to the side of the road to get out of the way of the oncoming pursuit. 

"Preliminary information indicates the suspect vehicle intentionally struck the Temple patrol unit while it was positioned on the side of the road," the department stated.

The officer and the suspect were taken to the hospital following the crash. Their injuries weren't considered life-threatening.

The incident is under investigation.

About the Author

Joe Vince
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Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.
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