Murder trial of man accused of killing Sergeant Joshua Bartlett likely to be postponed

HOCKLEY COUNTY, Texas (KCBD) – The capital murder trial of Omar Soto-Chavira will likely be postponed after he was declared incompetent to stand trial.

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The deadly standoff on July 15, 2021, began when a neighbor called Levelland police and reported Soto-Chavira lying naked in the street.

When the police arrived, he barricaded himself in a nearby house and began shooting at the police.

During the shootout, Soto-Chavira reportedly shot three police officers: Shawn Wilson in the head, Josh Bartlett in the neck and another deputy in the hand.

SWAT Commander Bartlett succumbed to his injuries and Soto-Chavira was charged with capital assault.

After a venue change in May, he was scheduled to appear before a jury in Lubbock. Now the trial will likely be postponed.

According to the court order, the 25-year-old was declared “unfit to stand trial.”

The order also states that Soto-Chavira “is a person with a mental illness and requires observation and/or treatment in a psychiatric hospital for his or her own well-being and protection or for the protection of others.”

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