Officers shoot armed man to death in Llano County traffic stop
Lake Charles, La., police released this image of an April 6 bank robbery. They believe the man is Jeffrey Gray Wise, who was killed April 13 in Llano County by Texas law enforcement officers. Courtesy photo
FROM STAFF REPORTS
UPDATE: Authorities say Jeffrey Gray Wise robbed two banks in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Lake Charles Police Chief Don Dixon confirmed a warrant had been issued for Wise as a suspect in a March 9 robbery. He was also a suspect in an April 6 bank robbery in Lake Charles.
LLANO — The Texas Department of Public Safety has launched an investigation into an officer-involved shooting death of a man on a motorcycle who was stopped on Texas 71, officials say.
The incident happened at 5:07 p.m. April 13 on the state highway near the intersection of CR 305 in Llano County.
Two DPS troopers, backed up by Llano County Sheriff’s Office deputies, initiated the traffic stop.
“He was a suspect in an ongoing criminal investigation,” DPS Trooper and Public Information Officer Donis Wilson said.
The man was identified as Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin. Information about the nature of the criminal investigation is forthcoming.
According to published reports, in 2008, Wise was indicted for attempted bank robbery in Sherman and a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to 33 months in prison for the firearm charge; the bank robbery charge was dropped.
According to court documents, in May 2013, Round Rock police and the FBI arrested Wise as a suspect in two bank robberies. He pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery and was sentenced to federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was released from prison in December 2015.
The April 13 incident unfolded after Wise produced a semi-automatic pistol, according to a DPS report.
“He raised a weapon. They gave him commands to put the weapon down, and he didn’t put it down,” Wilson said. “It was just minutes.”
Law officers on the scene fired their weapons at the man, Wilson said. No officers were reportedly injured.
Wise was pronounced dead at the scene by Llano County Precinct 1 Justice of Peace BeBe Piatt.
The body was taken to the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.
editor@thepicayune.com
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There’s video now on youtube of Jeffery Wise’s sad ending. Cops were telling him to show his hands while he was reaching into his bag. When he pulled out a gun they started shooting, but to me at least he wasn’t pointing it at them, but trying to put the gun against his own head when they shot him several times. While on the ground he manages to maneuver the gun around and he shoots himself in the head. It’s freakish. The cops didn’t really kill him, at least right away, he did it himself. Looked like he could have survived until he put one in his own head. Cops weren’t out of line with what they did either. Just a sad freaking ending for anyone.