Mesquite police said officers fatally shot a man during a standoff on Interstate 635 that followed a chase late Thursday night. [[338676212,C]]
Police said they tried to pull over a driver — later identified as 29-year-old Mario Bernardo Martinez — who failed to stop at a stop sign, then ran a red light at about 11:50 p.m. Martinez refused, speeding away on westbound Interstate 30.
Grand Prairie police used spike strips to flatten the vehicle's tires, but police said Martinez kept driving. He continued driving on Interstate 20, reentering Mesquite and heading north on I-635 before stopping near Town East Boulevard at about 12:30 a.m. Friday.
Police said Martinez exited the vehicle several times and waived around what officers believed to be a gun, yelling at the officers that he was going to take two of them with him. He also threw a piece of jewelry at the officers.
The standoff with officers lasted more than an hour. Negotiators responded to the scene and tried to talk to Martinez on the phone.
"They'll try their best to end it peacefully in that way, but clearly this wasn't a situation that this man wanted to end peacefully," Mesquite Police Department Lt. Brian Parrish said.
Police said Martinez leaned out of the vehicle and pointed the weapon at officers at about 2 a.m. Two Mesquite police officers and one Department of Public Safety trooper fired, killing him.
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Mesquite police later said the weapon Martinez had in his possession actually turned out to be a pellet gun that resembled a firearm.
"I think all of the officers involved showed a lot of restraint," Parrish said. "They did everything they could to save this man's life. He was determined that that wouldn't be the case."
Northbound I-635 was shut down at Town East Boulevard until about 6:45 a.m.
Police said Martinez has a lengthy criminal history.
NBC 5's Ellen Bryan contributed to this report.
