Lindale Pursuit: Driver Fired at Officers

LINDALE, Texas – A Lindale man was arrested early Friday morning, December 19, after leading police on a high-speed pursuit and allegedly firing multiple rounds at pursuing officers, resulting in a minor injury to one officer.

The incident began around 1:30 AM when Lindale Police Department officers attempted to pull over a vehicle driven by Mark Johnson near Main Street for a broken taillight. Instead of stopping, Johnson reportedly accelerated, heading south on Highway 69.

During the pursuit, as Johnson was merging onto FM 16, he began firing multiple shots out of the back of his vehicle towards the patrol units. One round struck the hood of Officer Miller’s patrol car, causing shrapnel or glass to graze the officer’s arm. The injury was reported as minor. The chase continued west on FM 16, with officers intermittently taking additional fire from Johnson.

The pursuit ended when Smith County Sheriff's deputies successfully deployed spike strips near the intersection of FM 16 and County Road 446, just before the Smith County line, west of Tyler. Johnson then exited his disabled vehicle and attempted to flee into a nearby wooded area but was quickly apprehended by law enforcement.

Johnson is currently facing serious charges, including Aggravated Assault on a Public Servant and Evading Arrest.