Deputy shot in the face as gunman opens fire at scene of trailer home fire

Johnson County deputy shot in face during fire response

A Johnson County Sheriff's Office deputy is recovering after being shot in the face by a suspect during a response to a mobile home fire. FOX 4's Vania Castillo has more.

JOHNSON COUNTY, Texas - A gunman is dead and a Johnson County sheriff's deputy is recovering after being shot in the face while responding to a mobile home fire early Wednesday morning.

What we know:

The Texas Department of Public Safety said the shooting occurred in the 5400 block of County Road 605.

Johnson County deputies and firefighters were called to the trailer home east of Burleson around 1 a.m. on Wednesday because of a fire. Crews battled the flames for approximately two hours before hearing gunshots.

Deputies at the scene went to see what was going on. Investigators said they came across 75-year-old William Rogers holding a pistol, and gunfire was exchanged.

Suspect killed, deputy wounded in Johnson Co. shooting

Johnson County Sheriff's deputies killed a shooter who they say fired on deputies and firefighters early Wednesday morning.

One deputy was struck in the face by what investigators believe was shrapnel or bullet fragments. He was taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries. He has already been released.

The deputies returned fire, killing Rogers at the scene. 

What they're saying:

Criminologist Alex del Carmen said that while these kinds of situations are rare, they're not unheard of.

"More recently in the past few years, we've seen cases where, you know, law enforcement in particular have been set up in a way that, you know, they're there to provide help because of the type of call that comes in only to find themselves in an ambush," he said.

What's next:

The mobile home that caught fire was completely destroyed.

The Texas Rangers are now investigating the exact series of events leading up to the shooting.