A mom from Houston, Texas, is facing multiple charges after allegedly using her teen daughter as a human shield during a police encounter last Thursday.
According to ABC 13, police were pursuing a theft suspect when they were led on a 25-mile chase, exceeding 100 mph at times. During the police encounter, Tenescha Henry allegedly ran out of gas, ending the pursuit.
More from Mom.com: 3 Young Boys Shot Execution-Style, Dad Now Facing Murder Charges
"At a point, [Henry] did end up exiting and going the wrong way on the service road of I-45 and then ultimately went the wrong way on the local road of Airport Boulevard," Precinct 8 Deputy A. Peters told the news station.
The pursuit ended in a parking lot of a strip mall before the suspect got out of the car and grabbed someone out of the passenger seat. The suspect then put the person in what police described as a "chokehold" and "put her in front of law enforcement."
"I distinctly remember her at times saying, 'Shoot. Shoot me, shoot us.' Things of that nature," Peters said. "At that point, I 100% believed that we had a hostage situation."
The person in the passenger seat was later identified as Henry's 14-year-old daughter, who was crying and begging her mom to stop.
Officers used a stun gun on Henry, but did not injure her 14-year-old daughter. Henry was later taken into custody and her daughter was released to her grandparents.
"It can be a very dangerous situation, and to put your own family member, not to mention your daughter, right in front of that potential danger is just kind of crazy to me," Peters said.
During the incident, another person was discovered in the back seat, who was identified as either Henry's current or former partner. Henry has been charged with evading arrest, child endangerment, and fraud. She is expected back in court in September and has a bond set at $20,000 for evading arrest and child endangerment.
