COLLIN COUNTY, Texas — A 31-year-old man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after firing at officers and leading law enforcement on a chase through four cities in August 2021, the Collin County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.
Evan Kates, of Carrollton, was convicted and sentenced for three charges of aggravated assault against a public servant, DA Greg Willis said.
Around 2:45 a.m. on Aug. 22, 2021, two officers with the Allen Police Department were pursuing a DWI suspect at the intersection of Greenville Avenue and Bethany Drive. During this pursuit, a man in a maroon sedan began shooting at the two officers, according to officials.
At the time of the crime, officers were unclear if the man in the maroon car knew the DWI suspect.
Nevertheless, one of the Allen officers turned his attention away from the DWI pursuit and began chase with the shooter in the maroon car. Then, another officer joined in, police said.
The pursuit of the shooter continued from Allen through Fairview and McKinney on State Highway 5, officials said.
When the suspect entered the City of Melissa with speeds reaching over 100 mph, the suspect continued to fire at officers.
A short time later, the suspect crashed his vehicle at the intersection of Fannin Road and Center Street, and then fled on foot.
Officers from Melissa and Anna police departments, along with Collin County Sheriff’s Office deputies set up a perimeter and used a K-9 officer to search for the suspect.
The suspect, identified as Kates, was caught while he was running and was taken into custody.
Officers searched Kates’ car, where they found a handgun, a magazine on the floorboard and fired shell casings on the driver floorboard.
Officers later discovered Kates had not known the initial DWI suspect they were pursuing in Allen.
DA Willis said Kates had been on parole for only three months from an 18-year prison sentence for aggravated robbery out of Denton County when he committed the crime.
“A freshly paroled violent felon shot at police officers while they were pulling over an unrelated DWI suspect. These brave officers then pursued the shooter through four cities even as he continued to fire at them. They completed their pursuit on foot, and it’s only because of their bravery that he was held accountable,” said Willis after Kates was sentenced.
