Witnesses described a sudden rush for safety as a police pursuit ended in gunfire inside and around the busy retail store.
BURLESON, Texas — Workers and shoppers at a Burleson Sam’s Club described running for safety and trying to help a wounded police officer Monday evening after a pursuit from Cleburne ended in gunfire at the store, leaving the officer wounded and the pursued person dead.
The confrontation brought a fast-moving police pursuit into a public shopping area with customers and employees nearby. Cleburne police said the incident began about 6:50 p.m. Aug. 24 after officers responded to a report of a person brandishing a firearm inside a vehicle. The resulting chase traveled through Alvarado and north on Interstate 35W before ending near the Sam’s Club at 600 N. Burleson Blvd.
Michael Anthony Garcia, who was shopping when the pursuit reached the store, said he suddenly found himself close to the confrontation. He told reporters he saw an officer go down and tried to assist as officers responded to the injury.
Garcia said he and others initially tried to help with a tourniquet before police officers with medical equipment took over. A Cleburne police officer had been struck in the leg by gunfire and was taken to a hospital, where authorities reported the officer was in stable condition Monday night.
Dylan Trim, a Sam’s Club worker who was near the front of the store, told CBS Texas that he saw police vehicles arrive and heard gunfire before employees began running. Trim said he fled through a fire exit as the confrontation unfolded. His account, along with other witness reports, provided an early view of the confusion inside the store but did not establish the complete sequence of events.
Authorities said the person who led police on the pursuit was struck by gunfire and pronounced dead at the scene. Officials had not publicly identified that person by early Tuesday, and investigators had not released a full account of who fired each shot during the final confrontation.
Cellphone video from the area showed a large law enforcement response after the shooting. Burleson police, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety responded. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said two of its deputies were involved in the incident.
Sam’s Club parent company Walmart said the safety of associates and members was a priority and that the company would cooperate with law enforcement during the investigation. Authorities said Monday night that there was no known continuing threat to the public, although people were asked to stay away while investigators processed the scene.
The witness accounts describe only portions of a rapidly unfolding event and remain subject to comparison with physical evidence, surveillance recordings and police video. Authorities have not released those materials or explained in detail what happened immediately before the gunfire that wounded the officer and killed the pursued person.
The Texas Rangers have taken over the investigation into the officer-involved shooting. Officials also had not released additional details about the original report that brought Cleburne officers to the vehicle or publicly identified the wounded officer.
By early Tuesday, the Cleburne officer remained reported in stable condition and the scene was no longer considered an active threat to the community. The Texas Rangers’ investigation was continuing, with major questions about the final encounter still unresolved.
Author note: Last updated August 25, 2026.