Shootout with Cibolo PD ends with two in custody

CIBOLO, Texas — Convenience store clerks in Cibolo said when two men staggered up to the counter, they knew they had to call police for help.

“They could barely stand up. They were struggling just to get money out of their wallets,” Stacey, an employee said.

Minutes later, they said as the men were leaving the Pic-N-Pac store, one of the men got out of a car and opened fire on two police officers.

Stacey said she has worked in the area of FM 1103 for years and always felt safe. She said she was shaken by the early morning attack that happened as families were going to school.

“Our main priority through this whole thing was not letting them get out in school traffic and keeping the community safe,” Stacey said.

As the men drove away, Stacey said she peeked out the back door of the store and saw a confrontation start, so she quickly shut the door.

“It wasn’t long after that that we started hearing gunshots,”  Stacey said, adding that after police subdued and detained the men, they went back to review the footage recorded by their security camera.

“I saw the passenger shoot at the officer,” Stacey said, adding that at least one officer returned fire.

“A pistol was revealed by one of the suspects and that’s when the officer fired shots. We’re still trying to see where everybody was, how many shots were fired and by whom,” Cibolo Police Department spokesman Matt Schima said.

Schima said nobody was injured in the gunfight and they will be reviewing possible evidence in body worn cameras.

In a parking lot littered with shell casings and broken glass, Schima said the car the two men were in had not been reported stolen, but they were looking into the possibility.

The two men were later identified as 34-year-old Ceasar Gomez and 45-year-old Michael Thamen. Authorities learned that Gomez has an outstanding arrest warrant and is wanted by the U.S. Marshal’s Service.

Schima said late Friday both men were still in the process of appearing before a judge to be formally charged. 

With regard to the investigation, Schima said “It’s standard protocol with an officer involved shooting that Texas Rangers will come in and conduct their investigation,” but there’s no timeline on how long that might take.