by Sheriff Mike Chitwood, Volusia County, FL
LUBBOCK, TX – Sgt. Joshua Bartlett, a U.S. Army veteran and SWAT commander at the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, was shot during a standoff last week and later succumbed to his injuries. Earlier in the day on Thursday, the subject of the call had been stopped by a Texas Highway Patrol trooper for reckless driving.
He tried to engage the trooper in a confrontation, then returned home after the encounter and began walking around the neighborhood with a firearm. When police arrived, the man opened fire and then barricaded himself inside a house. The regional SWAT team was requested as the man randomly fired shots from the home.
Sgt. Bartlett and three other members of the SWAT team were shot as they engaged the subject. Sgt. Bartlett was transported to Covenant Medical Center in Levelland where he succumbed to his wounds. Several other team members were wounded, one critically. The shooter was taken into custody at about 11:30 pm.