Missouri City police officer relieved of duty one week after crash that killed mother, teen and injured a man in the back of his patrol car
Over two hours into the investigation, police said another person was found in the backseat of the patrol car.
MISSOURI CITY, Texas — A Missouri City police officer has been relieved of duty after he was involved in a crash that killed a mother and her teenage son and injured a man who was in the back of his patrol car.
Editor's note: The above video was published on June 21, before the officer had been relieved of duty.
The crash happened around 8:45 p.m. on June 20. The Missouri City Police Department said the officer was responding to an in-progress robbery call at the time.
According to officials, the call was at an ATM in a shopping center, but before the officer made it there, he crashed into another car.
The Texas Department of Public Safety identified the mother and teen as Angela Stewart, 53, and Mason Stewart, 16. The teen was behind the wheel when the crash happened. His father, Rodney Stewart, said his son had just turned 16 that day.
The teen's father said his wife and son had gone to the store, and when they did not return, he started to track them using their mobile devices. That is what led him to the scene of the crash.
"I was just tracking my son’s phone. I checked to see why they were gone so long," Rodney said. "He died on his birthday, man."
The officer was taken to a hospital for treatment and has since been released. More than two hours after the crash, police said another person was found in the backseat of the patrol car. It's unclear whether the man was in custody at the time. An investigation into the crash and whether department policies were followed is underway.
"At this stage of the professional standards investigation, the primary officer involved in the accident has been relieved of duty," MCPD said in a press release Thursday. "The Missouri City Police Department wants to assure the public we are committed to maintaining the trust and confidence of the community we serve."
The man in the patrol car was also taken to an area hospital where he underwent surgery for non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The department also said its policy is for officers to not respond to another scene if they have someone in their unit.
Here is what police said at the scene:
[video_shortcode_youtube src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z6JtUqcLJMc?rel=0" itemprop="image" content="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z6JtUqcLJMc?rel=0" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z6JtUqcLJMc?rel=0"]
On the day of the crash, MCPD Chief Brandon Harris said they didn't know why the person was in the back of the patrol car.
The officer had worked in law enforcement for three years. He’s been with the Missouri City Police Department for one year.
The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating the crash.
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