RENO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — A body is found in a house that burned to the ground after a Parker County Sheriff’s deputy and police officer with the Reno [Texas] Police Department are both shot while responding to a domestic disturbance late Thursday night.
The officers were shot after they responded to a call from a woman asking for help. She told the emergency dispatcher that her son had a gun and was threatening to kill people.
The house where the shooting happened sits at the end of the dirt road in the 800 block of Harris Road. Sometime after the shooting, and the belief of law enforcement that someone was inside the building, the house caught on fire,.
(credit: CBSDFW.COM)
Police told CBS 11 News that they found a body when they were finally able to get inside what remained of the house. “We did find one body that’s in the house, but it’s too badly burned,” said Reno Police Chief Tony Simmons. “We just don’t know who it is yet.”
Officials say when Reno police, Parker County Sheriff’s deputies and members of the Springtown Police Department arrived at the scene they were immediately met with gunfire.
Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler confirmed the deputy, whose name is not being released, was shot several times. He was taken by CareFlite medical helicopter to JPS Hospital in Fort Worth where he was treated for his injuries and later released. The deputy has been with the Sheriff’s Office for more than six years.
“We are grateful our deputy is doing well,” Fowler said. “He is currently recuperating at home. We expect him to make a full recovery and we anticipate his return to our team.”
At least one bullet hit the Reno police officer in the arm. He too has been released after receiving medical treatment at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Azle.
The shooter also narrowly missed hitting another Reno police officer. A bullet hit that officer’s stun gun holster and prevented him from being shot.
Reno Chief Simmons said word of any officer being fired on raises the alarm. “You work with these guys day in and day out. Of course you’re gonna respond as quickly as you can and hope everything is okay. We got lucky this time. The world’s a dangerous place. This could have turned out a whole lot differently for these officers if things were just a slight bit different.”
The Texas Rangers are leading the investigation as we await the name of the gunman and learn if he was the person found dead inside the home.
