Officer M. Marin pulled the trigger, authorities said. He claims he did not have a choice, but some are questioning how Houston Police Department officers are trained.
Neighbors across the street were getting ready to go to bed when they saw several police cars arrive at the Healing Hands group home on Polk near downtown Houston.
Police say they were responding to a disturbance at Healing Hands, where several men with mental illnesses live with a caretaker.
Brian Claunch was the man at the center of the call for help. The caretaker said the wheelchair-bound double amputee was aggressive because he wanted soda and cigarettes.
When Marin and his partner went inside the home, HPD says Claunch cornered one officer with his wheelchair, disobeyed commands and was waving a shiny object.
Police say the officer feared for his life and his partner's, so he shot Claunch -- a response some are questioning.
Police now say the object Claunch was holding was a ballpoint pen.
Questions about why the officer didn't use a Taser will be part of the investigation, HPD spokesperson Kese Smith said.
Smith added that all cadets are required to take crisis intervention training, but it's unclear if Marin entered the academy before or after that was put into place.
The caretaker at the group home did not want to talk Sunday night. It was back to the dark, quiet neighborhood many are used to.
We learned that Marin shot and killed another suspect back in October 2009. Police say the suspect lunged at him with a knife.
Marin has been with the force for five years. As is standard in all officer-involved shootings, he was immediately placed on three-day administrative leave.
This shooting, like all officer-involved shootings, will be investigated by the homicide division, the internal affairs division and the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
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