Wimberley Antique shop back in business after being caught in ambush cross fire

Jean’s Antiques in Wimberley became the command center for law enforcement Friday morning. Hays County Sheriff’s Office said they received a call from a person they believed to be the suspect of an ambush attack. The 9-1-1 call described the attire of the shooter who told police a gunmen was attempting to break into the antique shop.

Four deputies went to check the place out and found nothing stolen and no break-in attempt. Dispatch alerted them the call came from a home just above Jean’s Antiques. Hays County Sheriff Gary Cutler said they were familiar with Rocky Miles West, 26, they had many run-ins with him. It was then the deputies went to check in on his residence when they were struck.

West was shooting at them behind a three-foot rockwall along the roadway. He shot nine rounds from a 12 gauge shot gun striking several patrol cars and Deputy Benjamin Gieselman, 28. Gieselman sustained non-life threatening injuries to both his upper body and legs. He was flown to a hospital in Austin and was last reported in fair condition.

Nearby resident Dan Buffington said he awoke to the gunshots early that morning.

"It was just pa pa pa..pa pa pa pa it seemed like 30 seconds,” Buffington said. "I was in the middle of a deep sleep and I just heard the pistol the rapid fire and I didn't know what to think."

Saturday morning Jeans Antiques owner Bill Drumwright was still finding stray bullets. He said he was relieved his business was left un-harm and terrible about the attack taking place so close to him.

"You know to have something like that happen here in Wimberley and especially here you see how quiet it is here today well that's the way it usually is and so it's a shocker and it just shows that it can happen anywhere," Drumwright said.

Ambush attacks are becoming common in law enforcement. FBI data shows that out of 66 law enforcement officers killed by criminals in 2016, 17 were killed in ambush attacks. Those types of attacks are difficult to prepare for said Hays County Sheriff Gary Cutler.

"Well our officers, I feel are very trained well actually our chief deputy has already said the car door off of the patrol car we are going to save and use it for training purposes," Sheriff Cutler said.

The Texas Rangers are conducting a parallel investigation into West’s death.