The police department of the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) is investigating an incident at the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center in which an unidentified individual attempted to enter the venue without a ticket but was turned away. The city of Odessa said in an Oct. 21 Facebook post that after the individual was refused entry, officers approached him an hour later at near the engineering building only for him to run away.
Authorities claim the man shortly afterwards was seen riding a large front-end loader tractor and came into contact with UTPB and Odessa police vehicles, the university said.
Police ordered the suspect to stop to no avail as he allegedly continued operating the tractor toward some officers, according to the post. The city said five UTPB officers – sensing danger – opened fire on the individual, who purportedly sustained multiple wounds. The suspect was subsequently treated by police and transported to the hospital where he’s listed in critical condition, per the post.
As for the five officers who shot the suspect, they’ll be placed on paid administrative leave pending the results of the investigation as directed by University of Texas System Police policy, the city said. The Texas Rangers will helm the criminal investigation.
According to the post, the Odessa Police Department (OPD) wasn’t the lead agency in the case. “Our law enforcement agencies have great relationships and part of our partnerships is to let the lead agency release incident info,” the city said.