Shots fired. SHOTS FIRED. GET UP. >> [screaming] >> A ROUTINE TRAFFIC STOP TURNS INTO AN ambush when the driver suddenly opens fire through a closed window striking the officer at close range. But that was only the beginning. Before we begin, a very special thank you to Sergeant Curtis and to everyone from his community who has come over to support Texas Safety Watch. I truly appreciate your kindness, your generosity, and the warm welcome you've shown this channel. I'm glad you're here and I hope you enjoy what we're building together. On March 29th, 2024, Sparks police stopped 34-year-old Anthony Wade after an officer noticed his vehicle had no license plates. Within seconds, the encounter erupted into gunfire setting off a manhunt through a residential neighborhood. We'll now go to the body cam footage from the officer who initiated the traffic stop and watch how the encounter unfolded from the very beginning. >> Shots fired. Shots fired. It's going westbound. Eastbound. >> After opening fire on the officer, Wade fled the traffic stop in his vehicle. A short distance away, he crashed into a U-Haul at the intersection of Greenbrae Drive and Rock Boulevard. Despite being wounded, the officer continued toward the crash scene as other units responded. Wade abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot into the surrounding neighborhood. >> I'm shot. It's just 10-50. >> He's in the house with a gun. Where'd he go? >> That side. >> This way. Turn around. Behind you. Where'd he go? Looks like he jumped the fence at the He had a May jean jacket. I don't think I need medics for my personnel. >> At approximately 1:40 p.m., a 911 call came into the Sparks Police Emergency Communication Center. The caller reported that she had been cooking inside her home when an armed man suddenly forced his way inside. Fearing for herself and her children, she fought back with a knife, cutting Wade before he fled through the back door. We'll now hear the 911 call from the victim. >> 911, what's the address for emergency? >> There's a guy in your house with a gun? >> [laughter] >> WHERE IS HE? WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WHICH WHICH WHICH which way? Did he went this way? >> Officers and deputies then began a door-to-door search, but while police were searching for Wade, investigators later learned that he had entered another residence and taken a woman hostage. At approximately 2:00 p.m., officers encountered that woman as she attempted to drive away from her home. What they did not know was that Wade was hiding in the rear passenger area of her vehicle. Because the neighborhood remained under a shelter-in-place order, officers instructed her to return home. She drove back into the garage and closed the door. Investigators later determined that Wade had taken her hostage and was forcing her to drive him out of the police perimeter while he remained concealed inside the vehicle. >> Twice police. Police department. Hey, just cover me just in case the guy might be in there. Police department, show me your hands. Show me your hands. Twice police. Show me your hands up. Stop. It doesn't look like anyone's in there. Hi, so we have a critical incident that's going on. It's kind of dangerous right now. Did anyone jump inside your yard or backyard? >> No. >> Where are you headed to? >> I'm going to the store. >> Okay. Um, what I need you to do, can you go inside your house and shelter-in-place? Let's get this family out of here. And we need them for detectives. So they can get more information. As officers continued searching the neighborhood, they returned to the residence to determine whether Wade might be inside. A Washoe County Sheriff's deputy approached the home and saw the woman lying near the doorway. As the deputy identified himself as law enforcement, Wade opened fire from inside the residence. The gunfire struck the deputy and a Sparks police officer. Officers immediately returned fire. >> Yeah. >> [screaming] [screaming] >> Hey, there's a there's an older W female in this house. She's the one I talked to. >> Did they go back inside? >> Yeah. >> Hello, THIS IS POLICE. >> [screaming] >> STAND UP. ARE YOU HURT? GET HER UP. GET HER UP. GET HER UP. GET UP. I GOT HER. I GOT HER. >> HERE, I GOT ONE HAND. YOU GET THE OTHER. >> YEAH, get the [ __ ] out of there. >> Did they go back inside? >> Yeah. >> Hello, this is police. >> Get out OF THE HOUSE. GET [screaming] HER UP. GET HER UP. GET HER UP. GET HER UP. GET HER OUT. STAND UP. ARE YOU HURT? I DON'T KNOW. HE'S IN BACK OF THE HOUSE. HE'S SHOOTING AT ME. ME. HE'S SHOOTING AT US DEEP. >> Despite Wade continuing to fire from inside the house, officers moved forward, pulled the hostage from the residence, and dragged her to safety. Wade then escaped through the back of the residence. He jumped a fence and entered the backyard of another home in the 1300 block of Green Brae Drive. At approximately 2:15 p.m., the homeowner called 911 from inside the residence. She was hiding in her bathroom while Wade was somewhere on the property. >> 911, what's the address of the emergency? Tell me exactly what happened. >> He just broke in my house and barricaded my bathroom. The kids are barricaded. He's got like down the front door and coming in. >> Okay. He's barricaded in the bathroom? >> Yeah, he's in the bathroom. He's locked. >> Does he know you're in there? >> I don't know, maybe. >> What's your name? >> I'm Gabriella. >> Wade eventually exited through the rear of the residence and attempted to hide behind a shed in the backyard. Approximately 15 minutes later, officers were able to safely get the homeowner out through the front door. A short time later, Wade reentered the residence through the back. With Wade now barricaded inside, the crisis negotiation team and SWAT attempted to bring the incident to a peaceful conclusion. For approximately 5 hours, negotiators attempted to convince Wade to surrender. He did not respond. Then, at approximately 7:30 p.m., SWAT operators entered the garage. Wade was waiting inside the garage positioned for another ambush. The moment the SWAT team entered, he opened fire. >> You got blood on the fridge, too. >> One of his rounds struck an officer's service weapon. SWAT operators returned fire as they withdrew from the garage. This was Wade's third separate armed attack on law enforcement during the incident and in each encounter an officer or deputy was struck by gunfire. For approximately the next two hours, the crisis negotiation team continued attempting to contact Wade. There was no response. >> [groaning] >> Believing Wade may have been wounded during the earlier exchange of gunfire, SWAT eventually re-entered the garage. Inside, officers located Wade. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. Investigators recovered a loaded 40 caliber semi-automatic handgun equipped with an extended magazine. From the initial traffic stop to the final entry, the incident lasted approximately 8 and 1/2 hours. Three law enforcement officers were struck by gunfire and all three survived. What began with a single officer approaching a vehicle turned into a violent hours-long manhunt through a residential neighborhood with home invasions, a hostage, and three separate gunfights with law enforcement. For officers watching this case, the lessons go far beyond the initial traffic stop. Maintaining containment, tracking a mobile armed suspect, rescuing wounded officers and civilians under fire, and coordinating multiple agencies while the threat continued to move and engage all became critical to bringing this incident to an end. This is Texas Safety Watch, where we break down what legally matters, what tactically matters, and the lessons that [music] can be learned from critical incidents across the country. Until next time, stay aware, >> [music] >> stay safe, and God bless. We'll see you in the next case.