Texas Rangers investigating Plano gas station shooting
PLANO, Texas - The Texas Rangers are investigating a Monday afternoon shooting involving a Plano police officer at a gas station.
The shooting happened just before 4:30 p.m. at the Quik Trip gas station in the 6400 block of Preston Road.
Police say a woman wrecked into another vehicle at the gas station and jumped out to run towards a Plano police officer who was pumping gas. The woman was trying to get help because there was a man in the back of her car with a gun.
After the suspect fired his gun, the veteran patrol officer returned fire and killed the suspect, later identified as 63-year-old Eleuterio Amaya-Torres.
Details on what happened still remain scarce, but witnesses believe it was a robbery attempt that ended with an officer opening fire.
Brett Robinson was working next door at Mi-T-Fine Car Wash when he shot this video on his cell phone just moments after the shooting. His video shows the suspect on the ground with a Plano officer standing over him with her gun drawn.
Witnesses say they heard a car crash into a truck and then heard one pop. After a few seconds, they heard several more shots.
“Someone yelled gun or shot or something, and we took off. And then when it stopped, we came back and that's when I got my phone out,” recalled witness Brett Robinson. "We knew it was done. We saw the guy on the ground, so we knew it was over."
"It was coming from the officer, continuous, louder shots. The first pop didn't sound like it was the officer's gun,” said witness Joshua Cotton. "We saw the man laying down right behind the car with a gun in his hand, no movement at all. The officer kicked it out of his hand."
"I've heard gunshots, but I've never heard gunshots near me,” said witness Greyson Slaughter. “So I wasn't prepared for it at all, and I was just trying to get out of there."
Police have not said what the relationship is between the Amaya-Torres and the victim.
A motive has not been released.
No one else was hurt. The officer was placed on administrative leave.