North Freeway carjacking with pitchfork, dashcam captures violent chase

A man carrying a pitchfork turned an early-morning drive on IH-45 near Loop 610 into a 20-mile hostage ordeal, with dashcam video capturing the violence as it unfolded in Harris County. The truck’s driver called 911 while the suspect climbed in, smashed the rear window and kept the vehicle moving north.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office identified Bruce Cantue as the man who climbed into the bed of a red Ford F-150 around 7 a.m. Monday, June 29, 2026, on the North Freeway near the North Loop. He used the pitchfork to break the rear window, then hit and threatened the driver. The 911 caller could be heard saying Cantue was throwing items out of the truck, including a phone and laptop.

Cantue used the driver’s phone to call his brother and claimed he had gotten his revenge. The driver was held for roughly 20 miles before Cantue forced him out in Spring.

Cantue later abandoned the Ford F-150 in Huntsville, armed himself with a pipe and stole a red Chevy truck. Video posted to social media showed the stolen Chevy truck ramming a trooper’s vehicle before reversing and fleeing again.

The chase ended in Leon County near mile marker 163 northbound on Interstate 45. A trooper shot Cantue there. No troopers were injured. Cantue was flown to a medical center in Temple in critical condition and was still recovering as of Tuesday, June 30.

Harris County charges in the case include aggravated kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon. Cantue refused to identify himself, and facial-recognition software linked him to an Oklahoma criminal history that includes kidnapping, domestic abuse and robbery. He was also connected to an aggravated robbery case in Walker County, and Texas Rangers were leading the investigation into the shooting.