“He tried to hit him to avoid the spikes” Albany chase/manhunt suspect facing multiple attempted murder charges

SHACKLEFORD COUNTY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC)- A high-speed chase through three counties led to a 3-hour manhunt in Albany on Tuesday. The incident came to a close around 3 p.m. following a gunfight, an attempt to run down a deputy, two spike strip deployments, a school lockdown, and massive search efforts by multiple states and big country law enforcement agencies.

“It was a perfect day. Nobody got hurt. and the bad guy went to jail.” Said Shackleford County Sheriff Edward Miller.

37-year-old Michael Zachery Haley of Baird was taken into custody Tuesday regarding the incident. He is currently held in the Shackleford County Jail on four counts of Criminal attempt Capital Murder of a Peace Officer or Fireman. Texas Department of Public Safety Sergeant Marc Couch told KTAB/KRBC that this is not Haley’s first run-in with the law.

“The suspect is known to law enforcement, and we know who the person is.” Couch said.

According to Couch, the chase began in the Abilene area. Haley was driving a stolen 2001 Ford Ranger that had been spray-painted grey and blue, and the front license plate was also covered in spray paint.

Just after Noon, Callahan County law enforcement called the Shackleford County Sheriff’s Office to inform them that the chase was headed toward Albany. Haley led officers north on U.S. Highway 283 at speeds upwards of 100 miles per hour. Sheriff Miller says a couple of his deputies were dispatched to assist. Shortly after being dispatched, a spike strip was deployed along 283 at the intersection of County Road 162.

“We took out one of the tires, but that didn’t slow our bad guy down. He just kept going. Speeds right at 100 miles per hour.” Said Miller.

At some point after the first spike strip was deployed, Miller says Haley fired a pistol at the pursuing officers behind him. One bullet struck the windshield of a Shackelford County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle. That bullet, assumed to be a 12-gauge, made contact with the windshield but did not penetrate the surface, bouncing off, and no officers were harmed.

“These are not bulletproof windshields…If you’ll notice the trajectory of the break right, there would have been right through the left shoulder of the deputy driving.” Miller told KTAB/KRBC.

Before the chase entered Albany city limits, a second spike strip was deployed around U.S. 283 and Albany Lake Road. Miller says it was at this point that Haley attempted to run down an Albany Police Officer while still traveling around 100 mph.

“Albany city Police Department was staged there to try to spike again. Our suspect centered on him and tried to hit him to avoid the spikes…When the suspect veered and went directly to the officer, he took cover behind his vehicle. Our suspect then turned off and continued toward town.” Said Miller.

Neither of the spike strips was able to stop Haley, and the chase then entered Albany City limits. Miller says Haley’s vehicle hit a dip in the road where Baird Street, which leads directly off 283, intersects with U.S. 180. On Baird Street, Haley crashed and fled the vehicle on foot.

“He came down Baird Street, the street right next to the sheriff’s office here, and went across U.S. 180. He was basically airborne when he went across and then touched down just the other side of the gun shop on Baird Street. And then continued on about another 200 yards before he crashed.” Miller explained.

Upon exiting the truck, Haley again opened fire on law enforcement; Miller says a short gun battle ensued, in which neither Haley nor any officers or bystanders were hit. Following that exchange, Haley fled on foot into a nearby wooded area west of town. It was just before 1 p.m. that the manhunt began. Miller called the nearby schools on a soft lockdown until the all-clear could be given.

“We sure didn’t want somebody being able to take refuge in one of our schools.” Said Miller.

Albany resident Tiffany Waddell was homeschooling her children just a few blocks from that scene. She stated she had heard the gunshots but was not aware of the incident taking place until a few moments later.

“We’re in rural America, so you hear gunshots pretty regularly. You know you’ll hear people hunting, so y’know, I didn’t think anything of it until somebody made the post about it.” Waddell said.

It was not until she checked social media and contacted fellow residents that she was aware of the danger. At the suggestion of a local law enforcement official, she and her three young boys locked all of their doors and went upstairs to a small reading nook closet to shelter in place until told otherwise.

“We were doing math and reading right before that, and then I came back in. I was like, okay, guys, we need to get somewhere…The boys were a little bit afraid of, what’s gonna happen if they don’t find him?… We’ll go about our lives the best we can and stay in the house, maybe.” Said Waddell.

For the next three hours, the Shackelford County Sheriff’s Office, Abilene Police Department SWAT team, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers, Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, Callahan County Sheriff’s Office, Throckmorton County Sheriff’s Office, Shackelford County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Albany Fire Department and EMS conducted a massive search effort which included multiple drones and helicopters.

Haley was spotted by a Shackelford County Deputy about a mile west of town near One Mile Road. He was taken into custody without incident. Miller says two pistols, a shotgun, and an illicit substance were all recovered from the vehicle Haley was driving. The substance is currently being tested for confirmation, but it is expected to be Methamphetamine. It is not officially known if Haley was under the influence of any drugs or alcohol during the altercation.

As stated at the beginning of this article, Haley is being held in the Shackleford County jail on four counts of Criminal attempt Capital Murder of a Peace Officer or Fireman. Investigation into the incident is ongoing.