A domestic disturbance call on Monday ended in a fatal shootout between Wise County sheriff’s deputies and the resident of the home.
The incident unfolded in the 100 block of Honeysuckle Road, near Paradise, with deputies as well as officers from Boyd Police Department arriving on the scene shortly after 7 p.m.
Edward Lander, 37, reportedly opened fire on law enforcement shortly thereafter.
“When they rolled up and knocked at the door, they heard a gunshot inside,” explained Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin, according to the Wise County Messenger. “They backed away from the door, and [Lander] went into another room … and he started firing rounds through the windows at the deputy as well as a Boyd police officer. They then returned fire.”
This exchange ended with the authorities discovering Lander incapacitated on the floor of the home. No officers or deputies were injured.
First responders from Wise County EMS administered immediate life-saving measures to Lander at the scene. He was then airlifted to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth, but he did not survive.
The fatal gunshots were connected to an unidentified sheriff’s deputy who had been sworn in under a year ago, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Because it was a deputy-related shooting, an internal investigation is underway, as well as an independent investigation by the Texas Rangers. The body-cam footage will be released at a yet-to-be-determined date.
“This is a difficult situation and it can really trouble some young officers and older officers, too,” Akin said. “We just want to make sure we build in time for their physical and mental health.”
Two women had apparently fled the home prior to the exchange of gunfire. Neither were injured, and their relationship to Lander is unknown.
Wise Hope, a local shelter and crisis center, held a candlelight vigil on Tuesday night to honor the victims of domestic violence while promoting awareness about this pressing social issue.
In Dallas, a total of 10,827 family violence crimes had been logged this year as of October 11, according to data from the Dallas Police Department’s crime analytics dashboard.
The vast majority of these were assaults, 5,214 of which were considered aggravated assaults due to the use of a deadly weapon or the cause of great bodily harm to the victim. Approximately 60% of these family violence crime victims were female.
Statewide, the Texas Council on Family Violence estimates that 1 in 3 Texans will be a victim of domestic violence at some point in their lifetime.