A man arrested in 2022 after firing at Fort Worth police officers during a multi-city chase was sentenced on Monday to 60 years in prison.
Eliseo Suarez Jr., 25, was sentenced after pleading guilty to the aggravated assault of a public servant, the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office announced in a news release. He is a documented gang member and had three felony warrants — two for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon — at the time of his arrest.
As previously covered in The Dallas Express, Suarez came to the attention of police when the vehicle he was riding in was flagged as stolen by Flock cameras on August 30, 2022, in Fort Worth. When officers tried to pull the car over, the driver, 25-year-old Jessica Jean Jarvis, failed to comply and began speeding away.
During the high-speed chase that ensued, Suarez leaned out the passenger window and fired a shotgun several times at police vehicles that were in pursuit.
Ultimately, the chase ended when Jarvis crashed into another vehicle at Interstate 820 and the bridge at 377 in Haltom City. Both suspects were apprehended after attempting to flee on foot. No officers were hurt in the incident, but two individuals in the truck Jarvis struck were injured — one critically, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Although Jarvis, who also had an outstanding warrant in another town, was initially charged with the unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and evading arrest, the case was dismissed in July 2023. She was handed five years of probation with deferred adjudication.
The Fort Worth Police Department has since boosted its Flock cameras, which are placed throughout the city, by adding audio sensors to detect gunshots. As covered by The Dallas Express, the department also recently launched a community camera-sharing initiative, which allows business owners and residents to opt in and share footage with police.
Alongside these crime-fighting measures, a specialized neighborhood police unit and private security guards patrol Fort Worth’s city center, which regularly logs lower crime reports than Downtown Dallas.
The Dallas Police Department has been laboring against a significant officer shortage, with just 3,000 officers fielded despite a City report calling for closer to 4,000 to ensure public safety.