CHEROKEE COUNTY —  Authorities remained on the lookout Thursday for a 25-year-old Cherokee County man who is alleged to have fired a shot at Jacksonville Police officers during an early Monday chase through a wooded area outside city limits.

Curtis Trevor Simmons – who authorities consider armed and dangerous – dodged arrest after distracting officers with a gunshot fired in their direction.

Neither Officer Jeff Dockter or Officer Chase Berryhill were injured, but the suspect eluded capture, reports show.

Simmons is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 145 pounds, Jacksonville Police Chief Reece Daniel said Thursday.

The half-hour chase began about 3:45 a.m. Monday  near the intersection of South Bolton and Larissa Streets, reports show. Simmons was speeding and neglected to respond to officers who noticed defective equipment on his vehicle, a red truck.

"Officers attempted to stop Simmons on a traffic violation," the chief said in an email. "Simmons fled from officers in the vehicle and led them on a lengthy pursuit."

The pursuit progressed along U.S. Highway 79 West, then north along FM 747 before going back into town. Simmons is alleged to have driven through a residential area before returning to U.S. 79 and heading south on FM 747.

Simmons is alleged to have stopped his vehicle on County Road 1816 at one point and fled on foot.

"He jumped out of his vehicle and fled down an embankment into a heavily wooded area," the chief wrote in the email. "TDCJ (Texas Department of Criminal Justice) dogs were called out, but suspect was not located at that time."

Several weapons were recovered from the vehicle at the location at which the pursuit ended, the chief said.

Simmons has a lengthy criminal record, the chief said.

He currently is wanted by Jacksonville Police for Evading Arrest with a vehicle state jail felony.

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department also holds two warrants for Aggravated Assault with a deadly weapon on Simmons, the chief said.

The suspect's two Texas Driver's Licenses place him at addresses in both Rusk and Alto.

Anyone with any information regarding Simmons is asked to contact local law enforcement: Jacksonville PD, at (903) 586-2546.

Officer Chase Berryhill, incidentally, recently was named Jacksonville's "2012 Police Officer Of The Year."