The Early Police Department on Wednesday morning provided additional details on the Highway 279 traffic stop from Tuesday:

On Tuesday, Oct. 8 at approximately 5:15 p.m., an Early Police Officer was en route to work from his residence at Lake Brownwood. While traveling on Highway 279, a white pickup made a U-turn directly in front of him then sped up to 80 miles per hour. The officer pursued the vehicle to investigate the erratic driving. The vehicle then stopped near County Road 557.

The officer approached the vehicle but the driver refused to roll the window down. The door opened and the driver was holding a handgun to his chest, also angled toward the officer. The officer retreated, telling dispatch the man had a gun and requesting other units. The male driver stayed in the pickup with the door closed and did not communicate with officers for some time.

Officers from Brown County Sheriff’s Office arrived along with Texas Highway Patrol, Lake Patrol, Brownwood, and Early Police Officers. The Brown County SWAT team was placed on standby and responded to the scene to assist when needed. Highway 279 was closed in both directions to maintain the safety of the public and officers as well.

Negotiators from the Brown County Sheriff’s Office spoke with the driver for approximately 2 hours. At one point, the driver fired a gunshot out the window into the woods and not in the direction of anyone.

The driver eventually threw the gun out the window and stepped out of the vehicle obeying commands and surrendering to officers. The driver was taken to Hendrick Medical Center in Brownwood where he will be evaluated by the Center for Life Resources.