A Missouri City family is continuing the search for answers after a police chase resulted in the deaths of a Houston ISD counselor and her teenage son after their vehicle was struck by a police car.
The victims were identified as Angela Stewart, 53, a counselor, and her son Mason Stewart, 16.
In a heartfelt letter to parents, Assistant Principal Tonya Chevalier expressed sorrow over the loss, stating, “It is with deep regret that we inform you about a recent loss to our school community.” Angela Stewart’s unexpected passing has prompted the district to offer support to students, parents, and school personnel.
What happened?
On June 20, police say a man armed with a handgun approached a victim and robbed them of $200 before fleeing in a silver Honda Civic. The victim reportedly followed the suspect while talking to 911. An officer responding to that call, slammed his cruiser into Mason and Angela as they were leaving a Dollar Tree parking lot.
According to witnesses, the police officer was traveling at a high rate of speed without activating his lights or sirens. Both mother and son died at the scene.
Video shows first responders frantically pulling him out of the cruiser to give him aid. However, police haven’t been able to explain why that person was in the back of the patrol car or why it took so long to discover the person was there. The person in the back of his patrol car was taken to Ben Taub Hospital. Police said he was not arrested, and his condition wasn’t immediately known.
Last week, police said they are still investigating why a person was in the cruiser as it goes against policy for officers to respond to calls if they already have someone in custody. Missouri City police said the officer has been with the department for just under a year. He came to Missouri City from a prior agency, where he had about two years of experience.
A family devastated
The family is devastated by the circumstances of the incident, particularly the fact that it occurred on Mason’s 16th birthday. Mason’s father was at the scene of the crash, but only came because it was taking his family so long to return from the store.
He says he checked his son’s location and it showed Mason’s jeep in the same spot for about an hour which was strange.
When the father arrived, he said police officers tried to keep him back and prevent him from getting through. “When I came up to Columbia Blue, I saw the cops, and they wouldn’t let me through,” he said. “They took my ID and told me a lieutenant was going to come talk to me. But nobody ever came to talk to me. They just kept me from going to the scene, and eventually one of the officers told me that they were gone.”
