Full Notification

DATE : August 16, 2010


TIME : 10:46 PM


CASE NUMBER : 2010-0509210


INCIDENT TYPE : Aggravated Assault/Officer Involved Shooting


OFFICER SUBMITTING RELEASE : Lt. Gary Trupe



DETAILS: At 10:36 PM, on Monday August 16, 2010, officers spotted a 2006 Yellow GMC truck belonging to Schwans in the area of Amarillo Blvd West and N. Madison. At 4:15 PM, on 08-16-10, a Schwans Food Company delivery truck was reported stolen from SW 15th and S. Van Buren. The officers checked the license plate through dispatch and confirmed that this was the stolen truck. The officers attempted to stop the Schwans truck as it turned northbound onto No. Fillmore. The Schwan truck refused to stop and the originating officers began to pursue the stolen truck northbound with their lights and siren The stolen truck continued north bound onto the Dumas Hwy and exited at River Road. The stolen truck proceeded northbound on River Rd until it got to the area of St. Francis where officers deployed a spike strip. The driver of the stolen truck saw the spike strip and drove through the parking lot of the Toot-N-Totem at that location to avoid the spike strip. One of the pursuing officer cars was disabled after he drove over this spike strip. At this point an unmarked police unit, which is fully equipped with lights and siren, and a marked police unit took over the pursuit which know was headed back south bound on River Rd. The stolen truck crossed over Dumas Dr in the area of Wonderland Park and drove back onto the Dumas Hwy. Officers were attempting to get in position to deploy spike strips, but were unable to at this point. The stolen truck continued southbound and took the Pierce Street exit. The stolen truck then turned eastbound (left) at NE 10th and then southbound (right) onto Lincoln Street.

At this point Off. Jowell Bullard was able to get in front of the pursuit and attempted to deploy spike strips on the north side of Amarillo Blvd East at N. Lincoln. The stop sticks did not function properly when thrown as the line that feeds out and allows the officer to throw it away from himself out into the road did not feed out of the handle as it was suppose to. Off. Bullard was in the road and the driver of the stolen truck swerved directly at Off. Bullard. Off. Bullard felt that he was going to be run over, and in fear for his life, fired a single shot from his 45 caliber duty weapon into the passenger side truck window, which was down, at approximately 10:46 PM. The stolen truck continued southbound across Amarillo Blvd into the parking lot of the Weinerschnitzel where it struck and knock down a large light pole coming to a stop. The pursuing officers approached the vehicle and found the driver slumped over in the front seat. The officers removed the driver and found that he had a gunshot wound to his right upper side. The officers placed an AED on the driver and began CPR until they were relieved by AMS and the Fire Department.

The driver of the vehicle was declared dead at the scene. Justice of the Peace Nancy Bosquez responded to the scene and ordered that an autopsy be performed on the driver in Lubbock, Texas on Tuesday August 17, 2010. The driver had no identification on his person and was found to be wearing gloves. Fingerprints were obtained from the driver and later into the AFIS system where he was positively identified as Rueben Arthur Flores, H/M 32, of Amarillo. Flores next of kin was notified. Supervisor with Schwans advised that the truck contained several thousands of dollars of inventory when it was stolen. The Schwan Food Company truck sustained damage to the front bumper where it struck the light pole. Management at Weinerschnitzel estimated that the damage to their property and business was $15,000 dollars. It is believed that most of this incident was captured on the officers in car video systems. There was no excessive speed on the part of Flores just erratic driving after he pulled onto Lincoln Street.

Officers described Flores speed as the speed limit or slightly over. Off. Bullard was placed on 3 days administrative leave per department policy and will be on restricted duty until this shooting is presented to the Potter County DA and a Potter County Grand Jury. The investigation of this incident is ongoing at the time of this release and anyone with information on the stolen Schwan truck and the officer involved shooting is asked to call the Special Crimes Unit at 378-9468.



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Amarillo Police Department, 200 S.E. 3rd Avenue, Amarillo, TX 79101 – 806.378.3038

News release information is available through The Crime Prevention Unit at 806.378.4257