09/14/17 Man arrested for attacking Abilene police officers, stealing patrol car

ABILENE, Texas – A Houston man was arrested in north Abilene Wednesday evening after police say he attacked two officers and tried to take off in a patrol car.

“He got in the car,” said Kimmyia Lamb, a neighbor. “He fought with police.”

Police received a call around 5 p.m. that Eric Lowry, 37, was “going on a rampage” in the 800 block of Cockerell Street.

When police confronted Lowry, police say he attacked two officers.

One officer attempted to use his stun gun on Lowry, but it failed.

“The officer pulled up, exited his patrol unit, and told the suspect to stop,” said Lt. Mark Watson with the Abilene Police Department. “The suspect continued approaching faster in an aggressive manner towards the police unit. The officer discharged his taser which proved to be ineffective at that time.”

Lowry then jumped into the patrol car and an officer jumped in with him.

The officer was able to get Lowry to stop the car about a block away.

“The black male jumped into the open police car door and got the police car into drive [and] began to move away,” Watson said. “The officer jumped inside with the suspect, and they traveled down the road about a block and a half before driving up on a curb.”

He was taken into custody and is being evaluated at a hospital.

“You know we used physical force,” Watson said. “We used the Taser. Really at that point if it’s still not effective, our next option is deadly force which could have been the case in this.”

Lowry is charged with three felonies — two counts of assault on a public servant and one count of theft — resisting arrest, possession of controlled substance and possession of marijuana. No bond was listed.

The officers suffered minor scrapes and bruises.

This was Lowry’s second arrest in three days. Jail records show he was arrested Monday for public intoxication and driving without insurance.