Early Tuesday afternoon, the Amarillo Emergency Communications Center received a 3rd party call of a suicidal person making threats to harm himself. At the time of the call, there was no mention of a weapon or of a means for the person to inflict self-harm.
Jacob Salas-Tijerina, 40, was identified as the subject of the call. The caller stated that Salas-Tijerina had stopped responding to them and that they did not know where he could be located.
Members of the Amarillo Police Department Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) were dispatched to investigate the call. Crisis Intervention Team members are specially trained to handle situations when people are suffering from a mental health crisis. Each Crisis Intervention Team member is partnered with a licensed mental health counselor that rides with them and assists on these calls.
The officers determined that Salas-Tijerina was in a business at 3808 southwest 6th Avenue. Just after 1:00 PM, the CIT units went to that location to attempt to contact Jacob and assist him with getting any help he may need.
As the officers and counselors entered the open business, they encountered multiple employees and customers in the building. Salas-Tijerina, who was armed with a gun, emerged from a back room.
As the officers began to speak with Salas-Tijerina, he made a statement to the officers and immediately pointed the gun at them and the counselors. One of the officers fired shots and struck him.
The officers gave medical aid to Salas-Tijerina until he could be transported to a local hospital with life threatening injuries.
A second person, who had been in a back room of the building when the shooting occurred, was struck by a bullet during the incident. The 25-year-old man was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Tags:
Regional