Provide a brief statement along with Sergeant Stephen D Woodard with the Texas uh Department of Public Safety. Good morning, everyone. Thank you for being here on behalf of the Missouri City of Missouri City and the Missouri City Police Department. Our hearts go out to the victims involved in this tragedy. The facts that we have right now are on Thursday, June 20th 2024 at approximately 842 pm. Missouri City police dispatch received a 911 emergency phone call from a victim who reported a robbery in progress in the 1600 block of Cartwright Road at an ATM machine. It was reported an unknown male approached the victim armed with a handgun demanding money. The suspect fled in a silver Honda passenger vehicle after obtaining approximately $200. The victim followed the suspect as he was talking to the 911 operators. Our Missouri City police officer was responding to the incident location traveling east in the 16 to 1700 block of Cartwright Road. Initial reports are the vehicle unrelated to the initial call of the robbery was exiting a parking lot onto Cartwright Road when a collision occurred with the responding officer, the occupants in the car in the crash, vehicle were pronounced deceased by Fort Ben Ems. The officer was transported to the medical center and has since been released as the investigation of the crash was being investigated by the tech Department of Public Safety. It was discovered the responding officer involved in the crash had a male occupant in the back seat. The occupant was transported to the Bento Hospital and its condition is unknown. The crash investigation will be conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety. And the Missouri City Police Department will conduct an internal investigation concerning policies and procedures. Once again, our hearts and condolences go out to the family at the loss of this tragedy and I'll take any questions you have. Can you say if the the male or the female victim was driving the car? Uh that is part of the investigation that dps is taken care of? I know we asked this last night, but as far as that person in the back seat is concerned, do you know who they were? Were they in custody or something like that? The the circumstances revolving around why he was in the car and how he got in the car is still under investigation. Don't say anything about it. I mean, it, so it's just so it's so vague. It, it is and it's still vague to us. Um until we get much deeper into the investigation, we can make that determination. Um We're still right at 12 hours into this investigation. So it's unknown why he was there. Witnesses were very concerned that maybe this officer that was responding to the robbery didn't have any sort of sirens and lights on and was kind of rushing to the scene. Can you say if you have lights on or can you share what the policy is for when you respond again? That portion of it is still under investigation. Um We have to go through hours and hours of body cam footage and the uh dash cam footage to determine if the lights and signs were on. What, what's the policy when you respond to something like that? You have light and um we do have a policy that addresses uh prior to responses and it just depends on the circumstances. And again, that's something we will determine as we move forward in the investigation and the information about the policy are to respond to scenes. Yeah, that no, they should not be responding in the circumstances behind it. We will determine what that is, but they should not respond with the person in the back. I would came to the scene this morning. Um, obviously not broken. Um Can you confirm what they were telling us that it was a mom and her 16 year old son? Um I'll let dps uh speak to that. That is their portion of the investigation was one in the car was in the, in the one officer and he was in the front seat with the That's correct. So, so, uh obviously I wouldn't be remiss without thanking the community, those individuals that uh basically stood by, took time out of their morning, early morning or late evening, uh, to give us statements to help add. Uh Of course, uh uh a more bigger picture or a little bit of clarity to this crash. I appreciate those citizens that stood by. I'm saying thank you on behalf of the chief and myself. Also, we like to thank, of course, uh the uh for being County Sheriff's office for assisting us with uh some of the electronic investigation piece. And we want to thank, of course, the Sugarland Police Department for helping us with that as well. Uh The deceased, the mother has identified as Miss Angela Stewart who's 53 years old and the son, uh Mr Mason Stewart, 16 years old. I can't confirm to you that he was the driver and they were both pronounced deceased by the Forman County Medical examiner's office. Uh on the scene, it is customary for some agencies to reach out to the Texas Department of Public Safety uh with assistance or for assistance in these unfortunate incidents. So we're uh again an investigative and support of peace. Uh not only to the community but to the Missouri City Police Department. Again, as the chief stated, this is an ongoing investigation, uh by way, of we, the department looking at all of the electronic uh, evidence and all of the physical evidence that was presented to us last night. And once that's complete, uh, we'll be able to provide you more of a clarity of what happened that evening. Thank you, chief. Can you tell us? Was there, was there any sort of dash cam from the patrol yet? Um, we were looking into that and pulling any dash cam video that is available. Uh, the car had severe damage, so we had to bring the car back here and we're in the process of obtaining that dash cam. If there is any available, you were saying you were saying the officer was responding to a robbery in progress call. Um, were they chasing this suspect vehicle or was, were they just heading to the scene where this so called robbery was happening? Preliminary, we believe he was, uh, responding to the scene and not chasing anybody. Could you give us some insight into who this officer is? How they are? How long they've been with the, that sort of thing? Uh, he's been with the department a little less than a year. Uh, he comes from another agency with two years of experience. So he's got right around three years of experience. So he was dispatched to that call. Did he not, did he not share that he already had somebody in the car? But again, that's, that's part of the investigation. We will, we will determine that, um, who was dispatched if he was dispatched? That is all part of the investigation. I read something. He was not arrested at the scene though. Do you want to give a quick, a quick description on the robbery suspect too? I guess who you're looking for if you have any? Um, I didn't bring that information with me. I do know it is a Hispanic or white male uh, driving a Silver Honda Civic. Um, that's the only information I have right now and that makes that make him ok. I believe so. Yes, but you still don't have an idea of how the person who is in the back seat is doing. They were taking a vent top. You said their condition. Yeah, their condition is unknown to us right now. Targets and the officer that is again part of the investigation, what is it, how long he's been with her for? He's been with our police department a little less than a year. Uh He comes from another agency with two years of experience. Witnesses also told us that that guy was the person in the back seat was in there for hours during this investigation and made it seem as if the officer didn't know that there was somebody in the back and it wasn't until DPS showed up that they were able to pull him from the car. Is that something you're hearing as well or that is that sounds accurate. Yes. Mm. Would be a big one. So not, not to take away from, from the tragedy of loss of life, but we do have another victim involved in a robbery. So there are pretty much four investigations ongoing at this time. We have a robbery investigation and then of course, the, the three separate investigations in conjunction with Texas dps and the Foreman County das office. Um, so if there were any witnesses that were in the area during that time frame in the 1600 block of Cartwright Road, who may or may have been in the area of that stand alone ATM machine. If you have any information, um, that can be used in trying to apprehend and, or identify the suspect, uh, feel free to give the police department a phone call at 281403 8700. Um, we, we do not want to take away from that citizen being, being robbed at gunpoint in lieu of, of the loss of life. Were there any other officers dispatched to that additional robbery or just that the one involved in the crash? Again, that's gonna be information that we're trying to piece together, um, who all was dispatched and the circumstances surrounding the call that he was either on or en route to. So he may or may not have been the primary correct that that's part of our investigation that we're trying to determine. All right. Thank you guys.
