The pursuit ended at a Sam’s Club, where gunfire left one officer wounded and the person police were pursuing dead.
BURLESON, Texas — A Cleburne police officer was shot in the leg and a person being pursued by police died Monday evening after a chase across several North Texas communities ended in gunfire near a Sam’s Club in Burleson, authorities said.
The Aug. 24 incident began shortly before 7 p.m. when Cleburne police responded to a report of a person brandishing a firearm while inside a vehicle. Police said a pursuit began after officers arrived and continued through Alvarado before heading north on Interstate 35W. The chase ended near the Sam’s Club at 600 N. Burleson Blvd., close to Texas 174. The Texas Rangers are investigating the shooting, while several important details about the final confrontation remain unresolved.
Police said shots were fired after the pursuit reached Burleson. The person officers had been pursuing was struck by gunfire and pronounced dead at the scene. A Cleburne police officer was shot in the leg and taken to a Fort Worth hospital for treatment. Officials reported the officer was in stable condition Monday night. Authorities had not publicly released the officer’s name or the identity of the person who died in the reports available Tuesday.
The exact sequence of the gunfire has not been publicly established. Authorities have not released a full account showing who fired each shot, which officers discharged their weapons or which gunfire wounded the Cleburne officer. Police also have not released body-camera, dashboard-camera or store surveillance video providing a complete view of the encounter. The Texas Rangers’ investigation is expected to determine how the shooting unfolded based on physical evidence, recordings and witness interviews.
Witnesses described a rapidly developing scene as police vehicles converged on the shopping center. Michael Anthony Garcia, who was in the parking lot, told reporters he saw a police vehicle collide with a blue truck before a person ran toward the store with officers following. Sam’s Club employee Dylan Trim said he was working near the entrance when police arrived and gunfire began. Trim told CBS News Texas he saw a person carrying what appeared to be a long gun as employees and customers fled. Authorities had not independently confirmed every detail of the witnesses’ accounts.
Garcia also said he moved toward the wounded officer after the shooting and considered using his belt as a tourniquet before other officers arrived with medical equipment. Video from the scene showed officers providing aid as a large law enforcement response filled the area around the store. No injuries to Sam’s Club employees or customers were announced in the immediate aftermath of the confrontation.
The incident brought officers and deputies from several agencies to the area. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said two of its deputies were involved in the broader incident. The Texas Department of Public Safety and other agencies also responded. Burleson police and emergency medical personnel assisted at the scene, but Burleson police said their officers were not involved in the shooting itself.
Cleburne Mayor Derek Weathers said Monday night that the wounded officer was stable and thanked the other law enforcement agencies that responded. Officials said there was no known continuing threat to the community after the shooting, although people were initially asked to avoid the area while investigators secured the scene and documented evidence.
The confrontation disrupted operations around the Sam’s Club as investigators worked at the property. Walmart, which operates Sam’s Club, said the safety of employees and members was a priority and that the company would cooperate with law enforcement. CBS News Texas reported that the Burleson Sam’s Club reopened Tuesday afternoon.
Questions also remain about the events that led to the pursuit. Police have said the initial call involved a report of someone brandishing a firearm, but authorities have not publicly detailed what the caller reported, what happened when officers first encountered the vehicle or why the driver fled. Investigators also have not released a complete timeline showing whether any gunfire occurred before the chase reached the Burleson shopping center.
The Texas Rangers continue to lead the investigation into the officer-involved shooting. Authorities have not announced final findings about the sequence of gunfire or released a complete reconstruction of the confrontation. The wounded officer was last publicly reported in stable condition, the store has reopened, and officials have said there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Author note: Last updated August 25, 2026.