JEWETT, Texas (KBTX) - A Leon County deputy is safe after a gunman opened fire on his patrol vehicle early Saturday morning, in what officials say could have been a deadly ambush if not for the bullet-resistant glass recently installed in the unit.

According to Sheriff Kevin Ellis, the incident happened just before 2 a.m. on County Road 320 in the city of Jewett. The deputy was responding to a 911 call from a woman asking for help when an armed suspect began shooting at the patrol vehicle.

Ellis said the suspect, identified as Allen David Clutter, fired eight rounds directly into the driver’s side windshield. The deputy was not injured, and Clutter was taken into custody without further incident. Details about the initial 911 call and how the arrest unfolded have not yet been released.

In a statement following the incident, Sheriff Ellis praised the use of protective technology in law enforcement vehicles. “The Leon County Sheriff’s Office wants to especially thank the citizens of Leon County and Operation Safe Shield for allowing us to equip some of our vehicles with bullet-resistant glass,” he said. “With this, our deputy was able to go home safe this morning.” Read more on KBTX3.

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