ABILENE, TX – The Abilene Police Department and Texas Rangers are investigating a shooting that occurred Monday evening after officers responded to a welfare check that escalated into a violent struggle.
Around 6:30 p.m. on October 13, 2025, officers were dispatched to the area of South 1st Street and Butternut Street following multiple 911 calls from a man who appeared disoriented and in distress.
When officers arrived, they found the caller visibly agitated. For about 15 minutes, they attempted to calm him and de-escalate the situation. The man then began walking into the roadway, posing a danger to himself and others. Despite repeated commands to move out of traffic, he refused.
As officers tried to remove him from the roadway, the man resisted and became combative. During the struggle, one officer deployed a Taser, which had no effect. The subject then managed to gain partial control of an officer’s holstered firearm and discharged it, striking the officer in the leg.
In response, the second officer fired his weapon, striking the man. He was transported to Hendrick Medical Center, where he remains in critical condition. The injured officer suffered a minor leg injury.
Both officers have been placed on paid administrative leave in accordance with department policy. The Texas Rangers and the Abilene Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division are conducting concurrent investigations.
Authorities will release the identity of the man once next-of-kin notifications have been made.
