Police: Suspect took away officer’s gun, wounded three officers

A South Texas police chief says a murder suspect who wounded three police officers in an exchange of gunfire had taken the service weapon of one officer to fire on the others.

Laredo Chief Claudio Trevino said during a news conference Tuesday that suspect Antonio Gerardo Rodriguez used his own weapon during a June 2 confrontation outside a convenience store to wound officer Mario Casares.

Rodriguez then took Casares’ weapon and kept firing. It’s not clear whether the others were injured by Rodriguez’s own weapon or the officer’s.

Trevino says the video reveals that Rodriguez likely died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound rather than being shot by an officer.

Rodriguez was being sought in the shooting death of his girlfriend.

The officers were treated and released from San Antonio hospitals.