LA JOYA, Texas - A Texas state trooper who fired on a pickup during a deadly chase through the desert was trying to disable the vehicle and suspected it was being used to smuggle drugs, authorities said Friday.
The disclosure came a day after the episode left two people dead and two wounded on an isolated gravel road near the town of La Joya, just north of the Mexico border.
The pickup was first encountered Thursday by state game wardens, who believed it was occupied by illegal aliens. When the driver refused to stop, the game wardens radioed for help, and a state police helicopter with a sharpshooter was the first to respond, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department spokesman Mike Cox.
In a statement, the Texas Department of Public Safety said the truck appeared to be a carrying a “typical covered drug load” on its bed and was traveling at reckless speeds.
After the shots were fired, the truck stopped. Seven Guatemalans were arrested, and no drugs were found.
Front Section, Pages 5 on 10/27/2012