Driver guilty in heated police chase

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) - Jurors in a Williamson County court have found a man who led police on a car chase in April guilty of evading and using his vehicle as a deadly weapon.

The chase ended after a state trooper shot the driver, Michael David Scofield, 24, of Georgetown.. 

Scofield survived his injury. On Wednesday, it took the jury fewer than 30 minutes to find him guilty of the charges. 

Sentencing is scheduled to begin Thursday.  Charges against Scofield in Burnet County are still pending.

The chase began on April 23 in Cedar Park on Highway 183A, went north along Texas Highway 29 through Liberty Hill and to the edge of Bertram. Police said Scofield's car reached speeds of almost 100 mph and finally stopped after he hit a police cruiser and spun out. Crews closed the highway into Bertram to complete the investigation until about 5 a.m. the following day.

"We heard stories about him coming through Liberty Hill going 90 to 95 mph," said Reta Whitley, longtime Bertram resident.

"One of my officers was already at the city limit when the pursuit ended and he started to come into the city limits," said Chief David Caudle. "He pulled out in front of the vehicle to stop it. The driver collided with my officer, and that's when the pursuit stopped."

Up the road, police barriers had blocked business at Greg Holland's gas station, too. A small price to pay for his customers' protection.

"I heard gunshots," said the Shell assistant manager. "I was outside taking out the trash and I heard sirens and four gunshots go off."

Chief Caudle said a combination of his officer's vehicle blockade and the state trooper actually shooting the driver ended any danger.

"He prevented that pursuit from going any farther which would have jeopardized the officers' lives, the lives of anyone going into the businesses in town," said Caudle.

"I think the officers did a good job of stopping it before it got into town," said Whitley.

When he arrived at Brackenridge Hospital, Scofield was listed in stable condition. Twice during the chase, police said he weaved into oncoming traffic, but luckily those drivers were able to get out of the way unharmed.