Authorities said the person police were pursuing died at the scene, while the Texas Rangers investigate how the confrontation unfolded.
BURLESON, Texas — A Cleburne police officer was shot in the leg and the person police were pursuing died Monday evening after a chase across parts of North Texas ended in gunfire near a Sam’s Club in Burleson, authorities said.
The shooting followed a police pursuit that began in Cleburne and moved through Alvarado before ending near the Sam’s Club at 600 N. Burleson Blvd., close to Interstate 35W and Texas 174. Authorities have confirmed the broad sequence of events, but key details about the final confrontation remain unresolved. Investigators have not publicly explained who fired each shot, whether the person who died fired at officers, or exactly how the officer was wounded. The Texas Rangers are leading the investigation.
Cleburne police said officers were called at about 6:50 p.m. Aug. 24 to a report of a person brandishing a firearm while inside a vehicle. When officers arrived, the vehicle fled and a pursuit began, police said. Authorities said the chase continued north through Alvarado and along I-35W before ending in Burleson. Burleson city officials said the call for a critical incident near the Sam’s Club came in shortly after 7 p.m.
After the chase reached the shopping area, shots were fired, according to police. The person officers had been pursuing was struck and pronounced dead at the scene. A Cleburne officer was also hit in the leg and taken to a Fort Worth hospital for treatment. Authorities said the officer was in stable condition after the shooting. Officials had not publicly released the name of the wounded officer or identified the person who died in the reports reviewed Wednesday morning.
Investigators have released only limited information about what happened during the exchange of gunfire. Police have not said how many officers fired their weapons, whether any shots were fired before the chase reached Burleson, or what evidence has been recovered from the scene. Authorities also have not released body-camera footage, dashboard-camera video or store surveillance video that might clarify the sequence. Because of those unanswered questions, much of the final confrontation remains under investigation rather than established fact.
Witnesses described a sudden and chaotic scene as police vehicles converged on the parking lot and entrance area. Michael Anthony Garcia told local reporters that he saw a police vehicle hit a blue truck and then saw a man run toward the store with officers following. Sam’s Club employee Dylan Trim said he was near the front entrance when police arrived and then heard gunfire. Trim told CBS News Texas that he saw a person carrying what appeared to be a long gun as employees and customers fled. Authorities have not independently confirmed every part of those witness accounts.
Garcia also said he tried to help the wounded officer. He told local reporters that he removed his belt and considered using it as a tourniquet before other officers arrived with medical gear and began treatment. Video from the scene showed a large law enforcement response outside the store and officers rendering aid. No injuries to Sam’s Club employees or customers were announced in the immediate aftermath, and authorities later said there was no known continuing threat to the public.
Several agencies responded to the incident. Reports said the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies assisted after the pursuit reached Burleson. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said two of its deputies were involved in the broader incident. Burleson police said their officers were not involved in the shooting itself, though local police and emergency crews helped secure the area and manage the response.
Public officials and the retailer later addressed the aftermath. Cleburne Mayor Derek Weathers said the wounded officer was stable and thanked the agencies that responded. Walmart, which operates Sam’s Club, said the safety of employees and members was a top priority and that the company would cooperate with law enforcement. CBS News Texas reported that the Burleson Sam’s Club reopened Tuesday afternoon after investigators finished processing the scene.
Important questions about the case remain unanswered. Authorities have not publicly detailed what prompted the original report that brought officers to the scene in Cleburne, what happened during the first contact with the vehicle, or why the driver fled. Investigators also have not announced whether any criminal charges would have been sought in connection with the pursuit or whether additional evidence from the scene changed the preliminary account released Monday night.
The Texas Rangers continue to investigate the officer-involved shooting. As of the latest reports, the wounded Cleburne officer remained in stable condition, the store had reopened, and officials had not released final findings about the gunfire or the identity of the person who died.
Author note: Last updated August 26, 2026.