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Llano deputy dies after shooting
Manhunt ends at campground, where suspect apparently critically shoots himself
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Matt Rourke/AMERICAN-STATESMAN
(enlarge photo)
Andy Taylor
By Steven Kreytak, Tony Plohetski
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
KINGSLAND — On a packed-gravel road in this rural town, Llano County Sheriff's Deputy Andy Taylor pulled over a driver late Sunday, asked for his license and called a dispatcher to run a routine check.
Soon after he made that call, according to deputies, the driver, Eric R. Wolfe — who prison officials say violated his parole last month — shot Taylor in the head and fled.
An 11-hour search for the suspect ended Monday with Wolfe, 30, being airlifted to Austin's Brackenridge Hospital with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Taylor, a three-year deputy who was to marry in about a month, died about 3:30 p.m. Monday.
"He was a very hard worker, very dedicated," Sheriff Nathan Garrett said. "He took his job very seriously."
Wolfe, who faces charges in connection with the shooting, remained in critical condition Monday evening.
Taylor went to Kingsland, about 60 miles northwest of Austin, because of a report of a car being driven recklessly without lights, Garrett said.
It is unclear what prompted Taylor to stop Wolfe, Garrett said.
Taylor pulled over Wolfe at the corner of Dilley Street and Skyline Drive at about 11:15 p.m.
Soon after, someone leaving a nearby mobile home saw the deputy lying still in the road, his patrol car nearby, and shouted for someone to call 911, one neighbor said.
"He needs help. He needs help," the neighbor recalled hearing.
Emergency personnel soon descended on the intersection. A STAR Flight helicopter rushed Taylor to Brackenridge.
Garrett ordered deputies to begin setting up roadblocks and called in support from nearby law enforcement agencies.
Working from information Taylor relayed to dispatchers before he was shot, authorities quickly identified Wolfe as their prime suspect and got a warrant to arrest him for attempted capital murder.
After an all-night manhunt, deputies learned that Wolfe was possibly at a Lower Colorado River Authority primitive campground on the northwestern shores of Lake Buchanan, about eight miles from the shooting.
Campers at the Cedar Point Recreation Area said Garrett and Chief Deputy John Keith walked among them Monday morning, flashing Wolfe's picture and asking if they had seen him. A short time later, the two told campers to leave the area.
At about 10:30 a.m., a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter hovered overhead and spotted a man with a gun in the brush, according to the sheriff's office.
Authorities on the ground soon found Wolfe, who had apparently shot himself in the head.
Wolfe is on parole from Pennsylvania.
He served five years there for robbery before he was released to be supervised by Texas parole officers in 2003, officials in both states said.
Wolfe obeyed the terms of his parole until April 19, when he missed a meeting with a parole officer, said Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Mike Viesca.
Under the terms of his release, Wolfe was to hold a job, submit to regular urine tests and not use drugs or alcohol, said a spokeswoman with the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole.
Wolfe has been living in Kingsland.
After he was shot, Taylor survived throughout the night on life support, Garrett said.
His family waited to end life support until his brother arrived from Odessa to say his final goodbyes, Garrett said.
Taylor, who also was a volunteer firefighter, served as a reserve officer with the City of Llano before joining the sheriff's office. He often worked the night shift, three days on and three days off.
A lifelong resident of Llano, Taylor lived with his grandparents in a small wood-frame house on the city's east side.
Neighbors described him as a "good guy" who helped take care of his grandparents.
Garrett said that the 21 members of the department, many of whom were friends with Taylor outside of the office, are in mourning.
"It's been a pretty hard day. Our department is like a family," Garrett said. "It's just a tragic loss. We just have to keep going."
Manhunt ends at campground, where suspect apparently critically shoots himself
Advertisement
Matt Rourke/AMERICAN-STATESMAN
(enlarge photo)
Andy Taylor
By Steven Kreytak, Tony Plohetski
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
KINGSLAND — On a packed-gravel road in this rural town, Llano County Sheriff's Deputy Andy Taylor pulled over a driver late Sunday, asked for his license and called a dispatcher to run a routine check.
Soon after he made that call, according to deputies, the driver, Eric R. Wolfe — who prison officials say violated his parole last month — shot Taylor in the head and fled.
An 11-hour search for the suspect ended Monday with Wolfe, 30, being airlifted to Austin's Brackenridge Hospital with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Taylor, a three-year deputy who was to marry in about a month, died about 3:30 p.m. Monday.
"He was a very hard worker, very dedicated," Sheriff Nathan Garrett said. "He took his job very seriously."
Wolfe, who faces charges in connection with the shooting, remained in critical condition Monday evening.
Taylor went to Kingsland, about 60 miles northwest of Austin, because of a report of a car being driven recklessly without lights, Garrett said.
It is unclear what prompted Taylor to stop Wolfe, Garrett said.
Taylor pulled over Wolfe at the corner of Dilley Street and Skyline Drive at about 11:15 p.m.
Soon after, someone leaving a nearby mobile home saw the deputy lying still in the road, his patrol car nearby, and shouted for someone to call 911, one neighbor said.
"He needs help. He needs help," the neighbor recalled hearing.
Emergency personnel soon descended on the intersection. A STAR Flight helicopter rushed Taylor to Brackenridge.
Garrett ordered deputies to begin setting up roadblocks and called in support from nearby law enforcement agencies.
Working from information Taylor relayed to dispatchers before he was shot, authorities quickly identified Wolfe as their prime suspect and got a warrant to arrest him for attempted capital murder.
After an all-night manhunt, deputies learned that Wolfe was possibly at a Lower Colorado River Authority primitive campground on the northwestern shores of Lake Buchanan, about eight miles from the shooting.
Campers at the Cedar Point Recreation Area said Garrett and Chief Deputy John Keith walked among them Monday morning, flashing Wolfe's picture and asking if they had seen him. A short time later, the two told campers to leave the area.
At about 10:30 a.m., a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter hovered overhead and spotted a man with a gun in the brush, according to the sheriff's office.
Authorities on the ground soon found Wolfe, who had apparently shot himself in the head.
Wolfe is on parole from Pennsylvania.
He served five years there for robbery before he was released to be supervised by Texas parole officers in 2003, officials in both states said.
Wolfe obeyed the terms of his parole until April 19, when he missed a meeting with a parole officer, said Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Mike Viesca.
Under the terms of his release, Wolfe was to hold a job, submit to regular urine tests and not use drugs or alcohol, said a spokeswoman with the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole.
Wolfe has been living in Kingsland.
After he was shot, Taylor survived throughout the night on life support, Garrett said.
His family waited to end life support until his brother arrived from Odessa to say his final goodbyes, Garrett said.
Taylor, who also was a volunteer firefighter, served as a reserve officer with the City of Llano before joining the sheriff's office. He often worked the night shift, three days on and three days off.
A lifelong resident of Llano, Taylor lived with his grandparents in a small wood-frame house on the city's east side.
Neighbors described him as a "good guy" who helped take care of his grandparents.
Garrett said that the 21 members of the department, many of whom were friends with Taylor outside of the office, are in mourning.
"It's been a pretty hard day. Our department is like a family," Garrett said. "It's just a tragic loss. We just have to keep going."
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