Sheriff: Shots fired as woman attempted to run over deputy

McALLEN — An Hidalgo County sheriff’s deputy is on paid leave while authorities investigate his use of lethal force Thursday evening when a woman allegedly tried to run him over with an SUV.

The deputy, who was on foot at the time, fired three shots at the approaching Jeep Cherokee, said Sheriff Lupe Treviño. None of the shots struck anyone, and no injuries were reported in connection with the incident.

The suspect, Vanessa Yvette Guerrero, was arrested at the scene and formally charged Friday with aggravated assault against a public servant and possession of marijuana. The more serious charge, aggravated assault on a public servant, is a first-degree felony, punishable by up to life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 upon conviction.

Guerrero, 20, confessed that she tried to run the deputy down, telling officials she panicked and didn’t want to face arrest, Treviño said.

The Brownsville woman had been leading the deputy on a car chase when she crashed into a tree, the sheriff said. When the deputy got out of his vehicle and approached her SUV, she tried to run him over, Treviño said. The deputy feared for his life and opened fire.

 “This young lady meant to kill our deputy,” Treviño said. “He is very fortunate he wasn’t harmed.”

Officials had been monitoring Guerrero on the suspicion that she was mailing drugs to upstate Texas and other points north. The Monitor is not naming the deputy at the request of Treviño, who said doing so could jeopardize the investigator’s undercover work.

 The deputy spotted Guerrero buying packing materials Thursday and tried to pull her over, the sheriff said. That’s when she tried to make a run for it.

She led the deputy on a chase from Mission to McAllen and then crashed into a tree, Treviño said. As the deputy approached her SUV on foot, she backed up the vehicle, threw it into drive and allegedly tried to run him over.

After identifying himself as a peace officer, the deputy fired his gun, striking one of the Cherokee’s front tires, the sheriff said. The deputy jumped out of the way as the Jeep sped toward him.

“Our deputies face danger every day,” Treviño said. “Everyone thinks it’s going to be a gang or the cartel that is going to bring harm to our officers. But the truth is it could be anybody at any time. That is why our officers must be prepared for the worst.”

Three different divisions of the sheriff’s office are investigating the incident, Treviño said. The division charged with reviewing officer-involved shootings preliminarily determined the deputy discharged his weapon without violating any laws or protocol.

Meanwhile, the agency’s public integrity unit will determine if the deputy violated any internal rules, and the narcotics unit is continuing its investigation into Guerrero’s suspected drug operation, the sheriff said. The deputy has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the results of the public integrity unit’s probe.

Guerrero continued to flee authorities even after her attempt to run over the deputy, Treviño said. The SUV eventually gave out on the corner of La Lomita Street and Sprague Road in McAllen. Officials found two boxes of marijuana in the vehicle.

Also arrested in connection with the incident was Guerrero’s cousin Rogelio Sandoval Jr., who was a passenger in the Cherokee. He was charged with marijuana possession, a state jail felony, and was assessed a $15,000 bond. If convicted, the18-year-old could face up to two years in a state jail and a fine of up to $10,000. He had previously been convicted in 2009 for burglary, a second-degree felony.

 “This deputy could have been killed over 4 pounds of marijuana,” the sheriff said. “How ridiculous is that?”

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Lindsay Machak covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4462.