McKinney, Texas: 19-Year-Old Killed, Officer Wounded in Shooting After Wilmeth Road Crash

A 19-year-old man is dead and a McKinney police officer is wounded after officers who answered a single car crash on Wilmeth Road on Sunday night got into a physical struggle with the driver and shots were fired, police said.

Officers were called at about 7:50 p.m. on Sunday, November 8, to the 1700 block of Wilmeth Road for a one car crash, the McKinney Police Department said. The driver was alone in the car. Police identified him as Jair Ruenes Galvan, 19.

Police said Galvan became uncooperative and refused to follow officers' commands. Chief Joe Ellenburg said two officers encountered Galvan at the car, and a physical struggle took place inside the vehicle before officers fired their weapons, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reported.

Galvan was taken to Medical City McKinney with life threatening injuries and later died, police said. One officer was shot in the hand, Ellenburg said, and was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life threatening.

Officers placed on leave

Both officers involved in the shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave, which the department said is its standard protocol after a police shooting. Police have not named the two officers.

Texas Rangers are investigating

McKinney police turned the investigation over to the Texas Rangers. In McKinney, the Rangers are brought in at once to handle any police involved shooting, the department said.

Texas Department of Public Safety Sergeant Juan Gutierrez told reporters on Monday what the Rangers' work will cover. "The Rangers will conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, which will include collecting witness statements, reviewing body-worn camera and in-car camera footage, and obtaining any available video footage from nearby businesses or residences," Gutierrez said.

When the Rangers finish, their findings go to the Collin County District Attorney's Office for review, he said. The case is recorded as McKinney Police Department Case No. 26-008895.

"We recognize the seriousness of this event and remain committed to ensuring a thorough and transparent investigation," the department said in its first statement.

What police have not said

Police have not said whether Galvan was armed, what led the officers to fire, or how the officer came to be shot. The department has not said whether both officers fired, and it has not announced a timeline for releasing camera footage or further details.

It is the second time in two years that a McKinney police shooting began with officers answering a car crash. On November 19, 2024, officers answered a single vehicle crash on Amscott Street involving Malik Riley, 21. Police said witnesses reported that Riley was waving a handgun after he got out of the car, that a Taser did not stop him, and that an officer shot him after he turned toward officers with the gun, according to accounts reported at the time by CBS News Texas. Riley was wounded and no officers were hurt in that case. Police reported a gun in the 2024 case. They have made no such report in Sunday's case, and the two investigations are separate.