A man on "an extended methamphetamine binge" is accused of leading Texas police on a wild chase after rear-ending a patrol car and then slipping out of his cuffs and stealing a cruiser Sunday.
The incident happened at about 6 p.m. when Reynaldo R. Ruiz, 48, allegedly drove into the rear of a Poteet police officer's vehicle, which was stopped at an intersection, Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward said in an online statement. The officer gave chase to the fleeing Ruiz, who drove to a nearby convenience store before intentionally ramming the cruiser again and disabling it.
Ruiz was taken into custody by a sheriff's deputy following a brief foot pursuit, and he was put in the back of a Poteet police car. That's when he slipped out of his handcuffs and fled the cruiser.
Officers tried to recapture Ruiz, but he was able to elude them and sped away in a Poteet cruiser. Police again gave chase, and the pursuit moved to Pleasanton, where Ruiz allegedly tried to run down a police officer.
Authorities fired shots at Ruiz before the suspect collided with a Poteet police cruiser driven by the chief, just north of Jourdanton. Ruiz was finally taken into custody by police and deputies.
According to Soward, Ruiz claimed he was "an extended methamphetamine binge" during the incident. He also admitted that he had intentionally ran into the Poteet police officer and was trying to hit as many cruisers and officers as possible.
No one was seriously injured in the incident. Texas Rangers and the Atascosa County Sheriff's Office are investigating, along with the Poteet and Pleasanton police departments.
