Texas cop is shot dead while chasing 2 suspects near southern border

Police in Texas said an officer was shot and killed Tuesday after joining an hourslong pursuit of two suspects near the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Brownsville Police Department said the slain officer was Lt. Milton Resendez, who worked at the nearby San Benito Police Department. Both cities are near Texas’ southeast border with Mexico.

Cameron County Prosecutor Luis Saenz said suspects Rogelio Martinez Jr., 18, of Brownsville and Rodrigo Axel Espinosa Valdez, 23, of Mexico are facing charges of murder, assault with a deadly weapon and evading arrest in connection with the incident.

Authorities said Lt. Resendez joined the pursuit of the suspects at about 11 p.m. Tuesday when the chase entered San Benito city limits.

The lieutenant crossed paths with the suspects, who opened fire on the officer’s patrol car.

Two rounds struck Lt. Resendez’s vehicle, with the fatal bullet piercing a door and hitting the officer in the abdomen below his body armor. The lieutenant was pronounced dead at a hospital a short time later.

“It’s hard right now,” San Benito Police Chief Mario Perea said about Lt. Resendez, who was with the force for about 30 years. “We lost one of our own. He worked with us for so long, he’s not just a co-worker, he’s part of our family now.”

The suspects were arrested in Brownsville after pursuing officers used their squad cars to trap and stop their vehicle.

The chase started at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday when police pulled over a red GMC truck for speeding on the beach at South Padre Island. The truck was occupied by two men, two women and two children.

Authorities said that while the driver was talking with police, a passenger started the engine and the driver hopped in the bed of the truck before the car sped off. The women and children exited the vehicle at that time.

Police said they followed the truck into Brownsville, where the suspects shot at pursuing officers. Police stood down out of fear of creating a public safety hazard.

The red GMC truck was found disabled later in the day. Authorities found the suspects driving an SUV at about 10:30 p.m., and the pursuit went to San Benito where Lt. Resendez was mortally wounded.