Suspect remains hospitalized

By Jessica Coleman    
Staff Writer
    27-year-old Edna resident Matthew Wayne Pillow, who was shot by Edna Police Patrolman Luis Chavez after allegedly pulling a knife on the officer following a shoplifting incident, remains in the hospital as of press time. 
    Pillow suffered several injuries internally as well as injuries to his arm and hand, according to Jackson County Sheriff Andy Louderback. Louderback addressed the Jackson County Commissioners in Commissioners Court on June 11 and updated them on the status of the defendant and the case.
    Pillow was set to be released into the custody of law enforcement between June 10 and 12, but complications arose over the weekend making it necessary for him to remain hospitalized. Barring further complications, he could be released by Wednesday, June 15. 
    Louderback said Pillow has an incision down his abdomen and lost some fingers on his right hand, meaning once he is cleared by doctors to enter the jail, he won’t be suitable for incarceration in the jail’s general population due to his injuries. The risk of fighting and further injuries to his incisions and amputations would leave Pillow occupying the solitary cell in the Jackson County Jail for several weeks. 
    Instead, Louderback has spoken to Victoria County Sheriff T. Michael O’Connor, who agreed to house Pillow in the Victoria County Jail, which is equipped with an infirmary. The move will allow Pillow to recover from his injuries more thoroughly before being placed in general population in the Jackson County Jail.
    Pillow was magistrated on June 7, which means all his medical bills past that point are to be paid by the county. Jackson County jailers are standing 24-hour guard at the hospital as Pillow recovers. His bond has been set at $750,000