Lake Jackson police fatally shoot woman who they say fired at officers

LAKE JACKSON, Texas – A 33-year-old woman is dead after a shootout with police on Friday.

Police said officers from Lake Jackson, Clute and Freeport were working together to find and arrest two burglary suspects.

Sean Zachary Williams, 21, was taken into custody at a residence in Angleton, but the second suspect, Jacqueline Cheyanne Johnson, was seen a short time later in the 1700 block of CR 428 in Angleton.

When officers attempted to apprehend Johnson, she drove her vehicle at the officers, narrowly missing them as she left the parking lot, officers said.

“She drove her vehicle at the officers, narrowly missing them as she exited a parking lot and began fleeing from the officers, displaying a handgun at officers several times through the window of her vehicle,” Lake Jackson Police Chief Rick Park said.

During the officers' pursuit of Johnson, they said she displayed a handgun through the window of her vehicle several times.

Johnson eventually pulled into Bayberry Court, which is a dead-end street, Park said.

Officers attempted to get her to exit the vehicle, but she refused, according to the Lake Jackson Police Department.

“They tried to talk her out of the vehicle,” Park said.

Police also used a flash bomb as a diversion, but the tactic didn’t work, he said.

When officers approached the vehicle, Johnson fired multiple shots at them, police said.

The time that elapsed between when Johnson stopped the car and the exchange of gunfire could be measured in minutes, Park said.

"I was in the backyard. I heard one loud shot and I thought it was a firecracker or something, and right after that it was a bunch. It was, like, maybe four seconds long, but a lot of loud firecrackers," Ashley Williams said. "I thought it was just fireworks so I didn't pay any attention to it until I heard a siren, and then I came out here and all of this is here."

Officers returned fire, according to police.

“We don’t know how many shots were fired by her or the officers,” Park said. “That will take time. I know multiple times on both sides. That’s part of the investigation.”

Emergency medical services was called to the scene, and Johnson was pronounced dead.

“Because of the time of day and density of population in that neighborhood, we only had a limited amount of time,” Park said. “We can’t allow her to hurt any residents.”

No officers were injured, police said.

The officers involved will be on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which is a standard procedure in such cases.

“This is a complicated investigation that must be thoroughly completed and will take time to be done properly,” Park said.

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