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The law enforcement community in the Rio Grande Valley is grieving after a police lieutenant was fatally shot.
San Benito police Lt. Milton Resendez died Tuesday night at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen from a gunshot wound incurred after an hours-long pursuit of two suspects across the county. Resendez had been in law enforcement in Cameron County for 32 years.
The incident began as a traffic stop for speeding in South Padre Island on Tuesday just after 4 p.m., according to Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz.
“The passenger jumps into the front seat, starts the truck and at the same time the driver who was talking to the officer jumps into the bed of the truck and they speed off," Saenz said.
Constable deputies confronted the car in Port Isabel. It was then pursued by Texas DPS into Brownsville, where city police responded but fell back after exchanging gunfire.
Just after 10 p.m., the car was located in Brownsville and pursued into San Benito by DPS. San Benito police, including Resendez, exchanged gunfire with the car's passengers.
Mario Perea, chief of police for the city of San Benito, expressed his grief during a press conference on Wednesday.
“[Lt. Resendez] cared about everyone," he said. "His shift loved him. From conversations we had with him, he was going to finish his career here with us, but he was a great guy.”
Resendez’s wife of 27 years told local media that her husband planned to retire in 2024.
The suspects in Tuesday’s pursuit are being detained at the Cameron County detention center and face multiple charges, including capital murder.
