AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has charged one man in connection with a "street takeover" that happened in Austin over the weekend.
According to an affidavit obtained by KVUE, DPS troopers were called out to help the Austin Police Department (APD) on Saturday, Feb. 18 at around 11:23 p.m. due to a "city-wide street takeover event" at the intersection of the Interstate 35 access road and East Anderson Lane.
When troopers arrived, they found a gray Chevrolet Camaro and a multicolor Dodge Charger drifting and doing burnouts around a crowd of people in the roadway.
According to the affidavit, a trooper tried to perform a traffic stop on the vehicles involved and arrest them for reckless driving. However, the Camaro and Charger started to evade the trooper's patrol unit at a high rate of speed.
A DPS Aircraft Unit was asked to follow the two cars as they traveled at speeds more than 140 mph, with their lights off, on the access road of I-35.
While the air unit was following the two vehicles, the drivers continued to speed down the highway – clocking more than 150 mph – before splitting up near US 290 and Tuscany Way. The air unit continued to follow the Camaro that eventually ended up at a 7-Eleven store located off Burnet Road.
Police officers and DPS troopers arrived on the scene and were able to arrest the driver, later identified as Jerry Antonio Gore, in a bathroom. Law enforcement searched Gore's car and found ammo, along with a loaded firearm near the driver's seat, the affidavit states. There was also a second firearm found, which was later determined to be stolen from Dallas.
According to the affidavit, Gore told police that he was in town for the "street takeover" and was visiting from Dallas. Police arrested Gore for theft of a firearm, evading arrest with a motor vehicle, obstruct highway passage during exhibition, reckless driving and unlawful carrying of a weapon.
A bail was set for $2,000 for possession of a firearm and $5,000 for obstruct highway passage during exhibition.
APD said a second person has also been arrested in connection with this incident.
The department will hold a press conference at 4 p.m. Tuesday to provide an update on the street takeover that happened on Saturday. Watch below: