WISE COUNTY, Texas — A former Lubbock man was wanted in connection to the shooting of a North Texas police officer during a traffic stop Sunday night, according to the Wise County Sheriff’s Office.
A Blue Alert was issued for Royce Edward Wood, 43, of Azle and formerly of Lubbock. Azle is just outside the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.
According to our news partner NBCDFW.com, officers with the Wise County Sherriff’s Office and the Rhome Police Department pulled over a man and woman on a motorcycle near the intersection of Farm-to-Market Roads 407 and 2264.
Wise County Sheriff Lance Akin said one of them matched the description of a suspect in a Saturday night home invasion.
Akin told NBCDFW.com the driver of the motorcycle got off the bike and fired “a couple of shots” at the officers.
A Rhome Police Department officer was struck in the leg and was later transported to a hospital in Fort Worth. The officer was last reported in stable condition.
The shooter (Wood) fled on foot, and the female passenger on the motorcycle was taken into custody.
A social media post from the Wise County Sheriff’s Office described Wood Wood as 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing about 200 pounds. He is bald and has a full beard, green eyes and was last seen on foot wearing a baseball cap with a camouflage bandana around it. He was also wearing black sunglasses, a vest, and a green shirt.
Woods should be considered armed and dangerous. A reward of up to $5,000 was being offered for information on Wood’s whereabouts, WCSO said.
The public was asked to contact Crime Stoppers of Wise County at (800) 643-8777 or (940) 627-8777.
A search of court documents by EverythingLubbock.com revealed Wood has a lengthy criminal history in Lubbock and Lubbock County.
