Police say it all started when Louis Avrin, 36, of Caldwell allegedly robbed the Brookshire Brothers grocery store at gunpoint. According to police, Avrin pointed a gun at several employees, saying he had 16 bullets and would fire them if he didn't get what he wanted. Police say he got away with $5,000 in cash. Officials say Avrin then walked out of the store and car-jacked a woman at gunpoint. He then allegedly took police on a high-speed chase. Caldwell Police Officer Cougan Hignight was called to the scene and quickly found himself in a high speed pursuit. Caldwell Police Chief Paul Lilly soon joined in the chase. One that took both officers down winding roads and through a field. However, neither officer expected what happened next. Avrin crashed the stolen vehicle into a tree then fired, hitting Officer Hignight in the arm. "He was getting out of his car after he saw the man pointing the gun," Deputy Chief Daniel McElroy with the Caldwell Police Department said. "He got out, the bullet came through the windshield and struck him, it ended up in his back." Highnight then fired back 10 times, Lilly fired four. Avrin was shot three times, one bullet skimmed his face and nose, one hit him in the hip, the third shot hit his neck and offered a fatal blow.

“You endangered a lot of lives for a stupid traffic warrant?,” Officer Richard Stewart said as Damon Caldwell, 35, sat handcuffed in the back of his patrol car.  “A misdemeanor warrant? Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? Was it worth it?” Caldwell doesn’t respond.  Caldwell has served prison time for violent offenses in the past — assault of a police officer and a detention officer. But apparently the only thing outstanding against him on Oct. 27 was a warrant in Tulsa for no proof of liability insurance. He also had a suspended license.  The video — provided recently following an Open Records request made shortly after the incident — shows a suspect police identify as Caldwell fleeing from a traffic stop near 111th Street and Memorial Drive in a Ford F-150 as Stewart approaches.  Stewart had noted that the vehicle had no tag information.  The officer activated his siren and followed Caldwell who weaved in and out of traffic, drove in the turning lanes and between lanes, traveled in the wrong direction, and cut through neighborhoods and commercial areas at high speeds.  Caldwell collided with two motorists, who were not injured.  The second collision can be seen as the pickup blazes through a red-light intersection at 71st Street and Sheridan Road.  The impact causes the truck to spin around, lose a tire, and come to rest above the curb in a grassy right-of-way.  The video shows two police cars stop and two officers get out with their weapons drawn. Verbal commands can be heard. The suspect stays seated in the truck and puts up his hands.  It looks like the suspect will finally be apprehended until he puts the truck into reverse. The officers chase the truck and begin to fire what sounds to be seven shots as the suspect backs out and pulls into a shopping center. A third officer races to the scene.  The officers can be seen getting back into their cars and following the truck into the shopping center.  They park behind a business where officers leave their cars again on foot.  About nine minutes later, Caldwell is seen in the back of Stewart’s patrol car.  The police report said that Caldwell had fled on foot across 69th Street and entered a back yard in the 6900 block of South 67th East Avenue, where he was taken into custody. That part of the incident is not captured on video.  Caldwell initially appeared to be breathless, then appeared listless as he slumped over in the back seat. At one point, he appears to be trying to remove his handcuffs and push the door open with his legs. He manages to unbuckle his seat belt.  Stewart and Capt. James Kite, who fired the shots, were cleared by the District Attorney’s Office, which conducted a review of the incident. A review is done any time deadly force is used.  Police Chief Ike Shirley said Stewart and Kite tried to shoot out the pickup’s tires, based on what they felt was a continuing threat.  Shirley said that his department is conducting its own review of the incident now that the DA’s review is complete. But Shirley said that he thinks that the officers involved handled a difficult situation very well.  Shirley said the officers had no idea who they were dealing with, if he were armed, had just committed a crime or was wanted for a crime.  Had Caldwell complied with the traffic stop, Shirley said he probably would have been arrested and made bond quickly on a few misdemeanor traffic violations “It’s not like robbing a grocery store,” he said. “If you look at the whole situation, he’s running for whatever reason. He has a misdemeanor warrant, which is nothing really, and he has an improper tag display which is a minor issue and the guy takes off,” Shirley said.  The Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office charged Caldwell with eluding police, leaving the scene of two accidents involving property damage, driving under suspension, driving with no insurance verification and an altered tag.  Caldwell has pleaded not guilty and a jury trial is set for March 1.  Records show that Caldwell has served prison sentences for assaulting a police officer in 1992 and assaulting a detention officer in 1997

In a matter of seconds, 15 rounds were fired, a Caldwell police officer was shot and the suspect killed.Police say it all started when Louis Avrin, 36, of Caldwell allegedly robbed the Brookshire Brothers grocery store at gunpoint. According to police, Avrin pointed a gun at several employees, saying he had 16 bullets and would f More..ire them if he didn't get what he wanted. Police say he got away with $5,000 in cash.Officials say Avrin then walked out of the store and car-jacked a woman at gunpoint. He then allegedly took police on a high-speed chase.Caldwell Police Officer Cougan Hignight was called to the scene and quickly found himself in a high speed pursuit. Caldwell Police Chief Paul Lilly soon joined in the chase. One that took both officers down winding roads and through a field.However, neither officer expected what happened next. Avrin crashed the stolen vehicle into a tree then fired, hitting Officer Hignight in the arm."He was getting out of his car after he saw the man pointing the gun," Deputy Chief Daniel McElroy with the Caldwell Police Department said. "He got out, the bullet came through the windshield and struck him, it ended up in his back."Highnight then fired back 10 times, Lilly fired four. Avrin was shot three times, one bullet skimmed his face and nose, one hit him in the hip, the third shot hit his neck and offered a fatal blow.Officer Hignight was rushed to the hospital by an off-duty officer who stopped to help. Chief Lilly made sure the suspect didn't fire again.We're told the shootout could have been worse. After Avrin fired once, he accidentally released the clip of his gun, dropping 15 live rounds on the ground.It's unclear what officer fired the fatal shot. Police tell us both men had the same caliber gun and the same ammunition, making it virtually impossible to tell.The dash cam video was shown to a Burleson County grand jury Wednesday. The jury found that the video justified the officer's actions. Both Officer Hignight and Chief Lilly were cleared of all wrong-doing.These tapes were made available because the Caldwell Police Department wanted the public to see last week's fatal shooting was justified.

OFFICER TATE TRIES TO CATCH UP WITH THE RESIDENT OF A HOUSE WHO HAS BEEN STEALING ELECTRICITY THROUGH A CABLE HOOKUP AND WHO HAS POT PLANTS GROWING IN HIS YARD. JUST SO HAPPENS THAT JAMES CALDWELL IS FINALLY HOME WHEN OFFICER TATE ARRIVES. CALDWELL ADMITS TO HOOKING UP THE POWER LINE FROM THE METER FOR PURPOSES OF CLEANING UP AROUND THE HOUSE. HE DENIED KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT THE PLANT SITUATION. THE GUY SEEMS NERVOUS AND TAKES OFF HIS COAT DURING THEIR TALK. THE OFFICER ASKS HIM WHAT HE'S HIDING AND HE ADMITS HE WAS TRYING TO HIDE A POT ROACH CLIP. HE PUTS HIS JACKET BACK ON AND WHEN THE OFFICER ASKS HIM TO TAKE THE JACKET OFF AND KEEP HIS HANDS OUT OF HIS POCKETS THE GUY RUNS AWAY! TATE GRABS HIM AND LATER FINDS MORE POT PLANTS IN THE HOUSE. SUSPECT PLED NO CONTEST , SERVED 193 DAYS IN JAIL AND PAID OVER $2000 IN FINES.