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Dashcam video shows suspect shoot at officer during chase


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HOUSTON — It was a dramatic scene this summer when a suspect opened fire on an officer with the Hedwig Village Police Department.

Footage from that officer's cruiser was released Thursday.

It shows Officer Andra Gibson, a 3-year veteran of the department, pursuing a vehicle with two men inside.

They had caught his attention after making an illegal turn and tried to out run him.

At one point, a passenger jumps out of the car. The driver keeps going and eventually strikes a curb. He jumps out and it appears the danger has passed.

"And the guy, you know came out," Hedwig Village Police Chief David Gott said. "And he makes that indication like 'I'm surrendering.'"

But he was not. The video shows him reaching for his waistband, grabbing a gun, and firing about six times at Officer Gibson within close range.

The department released the video so that residents could see what happened.

They also identified the driver as Emilio Soliz, a 36-year-old gang member who was wanted in California on several serious drug charges.

Soliz died on his way to the hospital, while Officer Gibson only had a hole in his pants where a bullet nearly struck him.

"Well no doubt about it, no doubt about it, God was on his side," Chief Gott said. "The officer is also a pastor in his off-duty time. I don't know if that helped, but it certainly didn't hurt."

Two days after the shooting, police arrested the second suspect and identified him as Edwin Benitez.

They say he claimed they were going to a friend's to smoke pot that night, though no drugs were ever found in the car.

Earlier this month a grand jury took a closer look at the case and found the officer did nothing wrong. He is still on the force where he also serves as the department's chaplain.

The night not only marked the first shooting of his career but also the first chase.