HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A man who led officers on a 37-mile chase from Humble through Houston in 2020 was sentenced to 37 years in prison.
Milton Callahan, 47, learned his fate when a Harris County jury agreed to his punishment, which also includes a $10,000 fine. He had previously been found guilty of aggravated assault of a public servant for shooting a police vehicle three times during the chase. He'll have to serve at least half of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
“We are all lucky no one was hurt during this 37-mile chase or the brazen shots being fired at civilians and a peace officer,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said. “We stand by our partners in law enforcement because an attack on a police officer is an attack on our community.”
What happened
Around 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 19, 2020, Humble police approached Callahan as he sat in the driver's seat of a GMC SUV that was parked in a residential area. A concerned father called the police when he saw Callahan, who was wearing a mask, taking photos of his pre-teen children.
When officers approached the SUV, Callahan sped away, clipping the side of a business in the process. As he approached the Newcastle Exit on the Southwest Freeway, Callahan passed a Houston police officer who was driving a black Dodge Challenger. He fired two shots into the passenger door and a third through the back passenger window. One of the bullets hit the cage in the back of the police car.
That officer joined the chase, during which Callahan also ran a family's car into a wall. The car caught fire, but the family was able to escape.
Callahan crashed near the intersection of Fondren Road and Willowbend Boulevard. He tried to run, but he was arrested after a short chase. A pistol and multiple shell casings were found in the SUV.
Callahan's girlfriend, who was also in the SUV, told investigators that she begged him to stop and he knew he was shooting at a police car when he opened fire on the Challenger. She said he also shot at vehicles during the chase.
History
Assistant District Attorney Kelly Marshall prosecuted the case with ADA Morgan Kline. Marshall said Callahan had a criminal history and had been granted "several second chances." He was previously arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm and evading.
“This defendant has had every opportunity to turn his life around,” Marshall said. “It’s staggering when you think about all the people who could have been killed because of this defendant and this chase. Thank goodness no one died.”
