High-speed chase ends in gunfire, spikes

By Editor | July 15, 2026 |

By Breyana Segura

A high-speed pursuit through two counties ended in an Atascosa County man’s arrest Saturday afternoon after he allegedly used a heavy-duty truck to ram several law enforcement vehicles.

The pursuit ended when a deputy disabled the truck with gunfire.

The driver, identified as 52-year-old Robert Brandon Canada, was taken into custody in the multi-agency operation.

According to a report filed at the Frio County Sheriff’s Office, the incident originated in Atascosa County when sheriff deputies initiated a routine traffic stop. Officers noted that they detected a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle during the roadside interview and ordered Canada and his passengers to step out of the pickup truck.

The report indicates Canada left the vehicle but suddenly climbed back into the pickup truck and accelerated from the scene.

Frio County deputies took over the pursuit as the vehicle crossed the county line on FM 140.

Officers took action to prevent the suspect from driving into residential neighborhoods.

“To mitigate risks to the city, officers from the Pearsall Police Department deployed tactical maneuvers to successfully divert the fleeing driver away from city limits and funnel [the pursuit] onto lower-density rural roads,” Sheriff Peter Salinas said.

Deputies deployed road spikes once the pursuit reached Business IH-35, approximately three miles outside city limits, successfully flattening several of the dually truck’s tires.

Canada refused to yield, however, and continued attempting to evade law enforcement officers by driving the truck on its wheel rims.

The incident escalated sharply when Canada began intentionally ramming pursuing law enforcement units.

In response to the vehicular strikes, deputies executed a tactical boxing maneuver to pin the pickup truck and force a termination of the chase.

Canada attempted to ram his way out of the containment, prompting a deputy to discharge a duty weapon into the vehicle’s tires.

Upon securing the vehicle and arresting Canada, deputies discovered that four dogs had been in the truck cab throughout the high-speed chase.

Salinas said no physical injuries were reported among his staff, the suspect, or the animals, but a number of patrol units had sustained significant structural damage due to the deliberate ramming.

“Although the involved deputies did not sustain any physical injuries, the high-stress nature of the encounter left them shaken,” the sheriff said.

Deputies transported Canada to the Frio County Jail without further incident. The man faces three first-degree felony charges for aggravated assault on a public servant, a third-degree felony charge for evading arrest or detention with a motor vehicle, and a Class A misdemeanor for resisting search or transport.