This browser does not support the Video element.
What started out as a dispatch call of a break-in Friday morning ended with one deputy in the hospital and a suspect dead. The Hays County Sheriff's office says they received a 911 call about a gunman trying to break into Jeans Antiques on the 1500 block of Ranch Road 12.
Deputies arrived close to 4 a.m. to find Rocky Miles West, 26, of Wimberley hiding behind a rock wall with a 12 gauge shotgun shooting at patrol cars. West shot nine rounds of different ammunition about 20 yards from the four deputies striking Deputy Benjamin Gieselman, 28, in his upper body and legs. Hays County Sheriff Gary Cutler said it was then deputies fired back leaving West to retreat to a nearby wooded area where he was found dead.
“Y'all you have to understand these officers are very lucky their cars got shot up really good today,' Sheriff Cutler said.”We think it was him who made the phone call at this time there are no other suspects and I want to assure the residents of Wimberley that it's safe out there."
The Sheriff’s office said it’s unclear whether West died from a self-inflicted gun wound or the deputies’ shots. Investigators were combing the area around Jeans Antiques searching for bullet casings and pellets because West also used bird shot and buck shot ammo used for hunting.
Law enforcement checked out Jeans Antiques and there were no signs of a break in or anything stolen. Shop owner Petra Drumwright was relieved to find her place intact. Once investigators cleared up her property she opened back business as usual.
"They were using our parking lot as a command center and there were police cars everywhere,” Dumwright said. "Very crazy, yeah especially here in Wimberely something like that never happens here."
Dumwright didn’t know much about the shooter. Although the Hays County Sheriff’s Office did. They said they were familiar with West and had many run-ins with him. West had a lengthy criminal history. His latest arrest was in January for a family violence charge of assault with bodily injury.
The Texas Rangers are conducting a parallel investigation while the sheriff’s office interviews West’s family and friends to find a motive. Gieselman was last reported in fair condition.