Authorities have identified the man shot and killed by Edinburg police just north of Memorial Middle School on Tuesday.
Police described Leroy Villarreal, 36, as aggressive and believed him to be armed when he barricaded himself in a vehicle for over an hour.
The incident occurred at the intersection of East Rogers and Doolittle Road after a concerned citizen reported a red truck driving recklessly in the area, according to Edinburg Police Chief Jaime Ayala.
Police said Villarreal fled on foot when officers attempted to make contact and retrieved what they believed to be a gun from a residence and subsequently barricaded himself in the truck.
Ayala said that after about an 90 minutes, Villarreal exited the vehicle and approached the officers in an “aggressive manner” before police fired their weapons at him.
Police rendered first aid on Villarreal, who was transported to a local hospital but died due to his injuries.
Ayala couldn’t confirm whether the object Villarreal was holding was a gun.
He added that the middle school was never in immediate danger.
The Texas Rangers are investigating the incident.
