HOUSTON – A father has been accused of using his 7-month-old baby as a shield while trying to evade arrest.
On Tuesday, Houston police officers spotted Christopher Tate driving without his seat belt in northwest Houston, investigators said.
When officers tried to pull him over, they said he sped up and drove into a Food Town parking lot, where he and three unnamed passengers, including two children, stepped out of the car. Police said they then took out their Tasers and yelled for Tate to get back in the car.
Investigators said he reached out and grabbed his 7-month old child to shield himself. Officers said Tate then took off on foot, leading officers on a chase around the parking lot while still holding his child.
"The officers continued to chase him, and were finally able to stop him and had to actually pry the child from his arms," said prosecutor Katie Davis.
Officials said the child is OK.
As for Tate, factoring in his prior convictions, prosecutors said he could be looking at as many as 10 years behind bars for evading arrest and endangering a child.
Over the last decade, Tate has been convicted of a series of crimes, ranging from theft to forgery to evading arrest.