By Kim Hilsenbeck.

The man killed during a standoff in Niederwald with Hays County SWAT officers in the early morning hours of Black Friday was identified as 22-year-old Jerry Paul Stovall III of Canyon Lake. Officials from the Texas Department of Public Safety released his name Monday.

At the request of the law enforcement agencies involved, the Texas Rangers are investigating the SWAT incident, which started about two hours earlier in Comal County.

 According to Bulverde Police Chief Gary Haecker, his department was dispatched to the Bealls department store at about 1 a.m. Friday as employees were preparing for Black Friday shoppers. The call came in as ‘a man with a gun’, Haecker said.

When the first officer arrived within two minutes of the call to the scene, Haecker said he met employees in the parking lot, who told him, “He’s got one of our employees.”

Those same employees also pointed out a backpack left on the top of the woman’s car. Haecker said the contents of that bag led his department to the conclusion that Stovall fully intended to kill the woman that night.

“I think he had every intention on killing her,” Haecker said.

Employees pointed in the direction that Stovall and a 19-year-old woman, who they said was his ex-girlfriend, went minutes earlier. Following their directions, the officer drove around the back of the store where Haecker said something caught his eye behind a dumpster. He said the officer got out of car and lit up the area with his spotlight. His vehicle was about 20 feet away from the dumpster, according to Haecker.

“He saw the suspect and victim crouched behind the dumpster,” Haecker said. “The officer then drew his weapon and told [Stovall] to come out.”

He said the officer was using the door of his vehicle for protection. At this point, Haecker said Stovall, who also had a gun, put the female in front of him as a shield.

“Our officer was giving verbal commands,” Haecker said. “‘Drop your weapon, drop your weapon.’”

Stovall then advanced toward the officer, a 50-year-old police veteran, holding the girl in front of him. When he was about 12 feet from the officer, Haecker said Stovall fired at the officer who then retreated around the other side of his police car. The bullet went into the hood of the vehicle.

Haecker said the suspect was still pointing his gun at the officer, who was now on the passenger side of the car.

That’s when Stovall pushed the victim inside the patrol car, still using her as a shield. He then drove off in the stolen police car headed up Route 46.

“The whole incident took about 30 seconds,” Haecker said.

Stovall then led Bulverde police and several other law enforcement agencies on a wild high-speed chase, sometimes exceeding 100 mph. Stovall also fired his weapon at officers a few times during the pursuit, according to Haecker.

Deputies from Hays County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) became involved in the chase, according to HCSO Deputy Stephen Traeger.

About 90 minutes after police were first called, Traeger said a spike strip laid on Interstate 35 in Kyle destroyed two of the stolen cruiser’s tires. The vehicle came to a stop near Route 21 in Niederwald, Traeger said.

The HCSO Crisis Negotiation and SWAT teams were called to the scene, according to Traeger. Law enforcement officers attempted negotiation for approximately 30 minutes.

According to the information released by law enforcement agencies involved, officers opened fire on Stovall when he threatened to kill his hostage and pointed his gun at the officers.

At 3:16 a.m., two San Marcos police SWAT team members took Stovall down with two shots to the head, according to Traeger.

The hostage, a 19-year-old woman, had a minor leg injury, according to Traeger. Police have withheld her name but Haecker said the young woman was trying to completely break off her relationship with Stovall. According to law enforcement agencies, he has a history of violent crime.

A Facebook post from Stovall on Nov. 23 said, “I’m ready to fall over and give up.” He posted a sad face along with it.

As for the Bulverde police, Haecker, who became the police chief in March, said he wasn’t sure about any take away lessons from this incident to help with future training.

“I’m not so sure there is one,” he said. “What could we have done to prevent the car being stolen? If [Stovall] had not been able to drive away, there would have been a gun battle.  It was the best scenario given the circumstances.”

He continued, “We’re out a patrol car, but I’d give 100 patrol cars to keep from having to bury one officer.”

Haecker said the officer involved in the initial incident in Bulverde had been shot at in his career, but never with the Bulverde Police Department.

The Comal County Sheriff’s office is handling the investigation in regards to Stovall firing his weapon at the officer in Bulverde.

“You don’t know how you’re going to respond until you’re in that moment,” Haecker said. “You train and train and train, but until it goes down, you don’t know how you’re going to react.”