Man dies after shooting at cops who were looking for someone else, Texas police say

A Texas man who police mistook for someone else has died after he opened fire on approaching officers, who shot back and wounded him Friday morning.

According to the Amarillo Police Department, George Michael Mireles, 34, matched the description of another man police were looking for on felony drug charges.

Officers didn’t know it, but the man they were nearing —Mireles — was believed to be armed and dangerous, and a warrant had “just recently been issued” for him.

Around 9:30 a.m., members of the department’s Proactive Criminal Enforcement Unit approached Mireles and he began shooting. Three officers fired back, injuring Mireles, according to the APD.

Officers rendered first aid and Mireles was taken to an area hospital in serious condition.

Police announced Mireles’ death Saturday.

The man officers were looking for, 29-year-old Cayetano Vela Medrano, was taken into custody later in the day Friday, police said. He was found in an apartment at the same complex where the shooting occurred.

No officers were hurt but gunfire did strike a police cruiser, the APD said.

Police later learned that Mireles was also wanted on drug charges.

This story was originally published August 22, 2021 at 2:33 PM with the headline "Man dies after shooting at cops who were looking for someone else, Texas police say."