Texas shootout kills four

PLEASANTON, Texas (AP) -- Three law officers lured to a rural<br>trailer park by a bogus 911 call were slain by a gunman who wounded<br>two more people before killing himself, authorities said.<br> <br>Two

Wednesday, October 13th 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

PLEASANTON, Texas (AP) -- Three law officers lured to a rural
trailer park by a bogus 911 call were slain by a gunman who wounded
two more people before killing himself, authorities said.

Two Atascosa County Sheriff's Department deputies and a Texas
state trooper were gunned down with a high-powered rifle in the
ambush late Tuesday south of San Antonio.

The gunman, Jeremiah Engleton, died after shooting himself but
also was hit by police gunfire, Department of Public Safety
spokesman Mike Cox said today.

Cox said Engleton had been jailed earlier Tuesday on a domestic
violence charge, but no further details were available. He
apparently lured the police to his mobile home with a 911 call.

"I don't remember anything like this since Waco," Cox said.
"Except that, there's really been nothing where there's been so
many officers killed in Texas in my memory."

Atascosa County sheriffs' deputies Mark Stephenson and Thomas
Monse were killed instantly as they approached the home, Cox said.

Engleton then apparently grabbed a pistol from one of the fallen
officers, crossed a dirt road and hid himself in underbrush.

Trooper Terry Miller arrived at the scene and called for backup
after spotting the slain deputies, but was shot to death through
his cruiser's window before he could remove his seat belt, Cox
said.

"I don't think there's any doubt but that he set it up that
way," Sheriff Tommy Williams said. "The (trooper) was still in
his car, my officers were still in their car. They were all killed
in the car. I think he ambushed them as soon as they drove up to
the house. I think he killed both of my officers right then."

Engleton continued to fire at officers from his hiding spot,
eventually killing himself with the stolen pistol. Two wounded law
enforcement officers were in fair condition today at a San Antonio
hospital.

"It's very disturbing," Bexar County sheriff's deputy Clyde
Ross said. "It was a very bloody scene."