Texas politician, 39, killed in gun battle with cops after ‘machete’ attack on girlfriend left her bleeding heavily
A TEXAS politician was fatally shot in an exchange of gunfire with police after allegedly attacking his girlfriend with a machete.
Police were called to the home of Gabriel Salinas, 39, after a neighbor saw his girlfriend “bleeding profusely,” according to reports.
Politician Gabriel Salinas was fatally shot in an exchange of gunfire with police, according to reports[/caption]
She displayed several lacerations which had either been caused by a knife or machete, Mission police chief Robert Dominguez said.
The woman, also 39, has not been publicly identified.
Two police officers reportedly tried to enter the home via the garage after making contact with the victim.
They found the girlfriend’s wounded son and removed him from the home.
When officers tried again to approach the home, the politician allegedly opened fire on the authorities, forcing them to retreat behind a police vehicle.
They began to exchange fire with Salinas, who reportedly barricaded himself in the home.
After several hours of failed attempts to contact him, police sent in a robot with a cell phone from Salinas’ sister to bridge communication, The Monitor reports.
The robot moved around the house and found two doors were closed.
The machine couldn’t open the door because it was holding the cell phone in its “hand.”
Police then taped the mobile to the robot and sent it back into the house.
Salinas reportedly barricaded himself in his home[/caption]
The machine opened a bedroom door and found the city commissioner, who was elected in 2017, lying in a pool of blood, it’s reported.
“As far as I know right now, it was not a self-inflicted gunshot wound. I think he died as a result of being hit in the transfer of fire,” Mr Dominguez said.
The police chief said Salinas suffered from hemophilia which likely contributed to his death, The Monitor reports.
“Obviously that didn’t help,” he said.
The woman was “critically wounded” but she is expected to recover. Her son was released after he received treatment for his injuries.
An autopsy will determine whether the politician was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The politician was reportedly arrested last year for allegedly assaulting the same girlfriend, according to Mail Online.
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The woman did not pursue charges.
He would’ve faced a charge of class A misdemeanour assault but the judge lowered it to class C due to the lack of evidence.
The politician was sentenced to time served and released later that same day, according to reports.
Salinas, pictured with his mom (left) and other family members, was elected to the Mission City Commission in 2017[/caption]