BELL COUNTY, Texas — It's some of the craziest and rawest police body-camera footage in recent memory.
Late Wednesday afternoon, Fort Worth police released dramatic footage from an officer-involved shooting on I-35 Sunday night.
In the footage, police rush to rescue a woman being held hostage inside a car by an armed man after a 100 mile-plus car chase that started in Bell County.
“They ordered occupants out of the vehicle but could not see due to debris, airbags and other items in the rear window," said Chief Neil Noakes.
Authorities first started the pursuit in Central Texas shortly around 7 p.m. after getting calls of a car speeding recklessly on 35W through Troy.
Eventually, the car crashed in Fort Worth 115 miles away.
As officers swarmed the vehicle, they were aware a female inside has been shot, and is being held against her will. The footage shows the male suspect in the driver's seat armed with a handgun as the woman partially covers his body.
Chief Noakes says officers thought she was being used as a "shield," so they made the decision to open fire.
“They quickly removed the victim from the vehicle so medical aid could be provided…took the victim to hospital in a patrol vehicle.”
Unfortunately, she didn’t make it. The male suspect died on scene, too.
Noakes, speaking only in a videotaped statement, admitted that in a slowed down version of the footage, it's clear the suspect's weapon actually didn’t have a clip loaded when he was shot.
Police say the situation was far too chaotic to notice that at the time.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner has identified that suspect as J'Qunnton Hopson, 38.
The victim is 31-year-old Shaelan Hill.
