DPS Helicopter Helps Capture Assault Suspect After Pursuit Ending in Mertzon

SAN ANGELO, TX – The Texas Department of Public Safety, working with the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, captured an assault suspect after a 12-mile pursuit that ended in Mertzon on July 30.

Authorities said Shelby Chappell, 30, of Big Lake, violated a protective order when he entered his wife’s workplace in San Angelo and assaulted a customer. He fled before law enforcement arrived.

At the sheriff’s office’s request, DPS dispatched a helicopter from its Aircraft Operations Division to assist in the search. The aircrew located a vehicle matching Chappell’s description traveling west on U.S. 67 toward Mertzon and relayed real-time updates to troopers and deputies on the ground.

Chappell stopped after the pursuit and was taken into custody without incident. He was charged with assault and violation of a protective order and booked into the Tom Green County Jail.

His bond was set at $10,000, and he was released on July 31, 2025, just after noon.