Domestic violence call ends in a shootout

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - It was the helicopters overhead that caught his attention and made Jesus Vidales look out the window and see a man scaling the fence in his backyard.

"About twenty minutes go by and the cops are passing by and they're with their k9 and i ask them if they're looking for that dude. They say yes and I say he's been around here," he said. ​

Deputies knocked holes in fences looking for him.. finally their dog named Grizzly caught him in this front yard.

This all stemmed from a domestic violence call a few blocks away.

When a deputy arrived to the home on Vickston Lane, a woman let him inside.

As he approached the closed bedroom door her boyfriend, identified as 28-year-old Eduardo Galvez, opened fire with a shotgun. The deputy returned fire and hit him, but  Galvez managed to escape and touch off the manhunt.

Deputies say this incident shows how dangerous domestic violence calls can be.

"It's a tremendous battle the domestic violence unit of the sheriff's department faces daily. There are far too many cases out there. Often when an officer arrives they do become extremely volatile," said Capt. J.D. Philpot with the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

It's not clear exactly what caused this particular situation to escalate, but experts say woman is in the most danger when she calls for help or says she is planning to leave, that's why the Houston Area Women's Center urges victims of domestic violence to call their hotline. It's staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year. 

"We are very attentive to make sure a personalized safety plan is developed that really takes into account all the factors that we need to think about to make sure you are safe at work, your children are safe and we have a way to get you out," said President and CEO Emilee D. Whitehurst.

The number is 713-528-2121. Their website is www.hawc.org.