Firefighters battle flames, gusty winds at northwest Harris Co. grass fire

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Firefighters spent a chunk of Christmas evening fighting a large grass fire in northwest Harris County, and the gusty winds made the battle more difficult.

The fire broke out shortly before 5pm Tuesday in a grassy area off Clay Road near Katy Hockley Road.

Firefighters from the Katy Fire Department and the Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department arrived on scene with a bulldozer to battle the blaze, but the fire had an ally Tuesday night -- gusty winds. Gusty winds can delay firefighters' abilities to contain fires.

"It ran the fire south of us for a while but we were able to contain it," Cy-Fair VFD Chief J.C. Marshall said of the winds. "It got down close to a couple homes on the south side, but they were able to make a stop on it."

The fire had spread to 160 acres before it was completely contained around 6:30pm.

The biggest concern for firefighters had been protecting nearby homes, and thankfully, none were damaged.

No injuries were reported in the fire, but its cause has yet to be determined.

An investigation is underway.

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Flames consume northwest Harris Co. club house

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A two-alarm fire completely damaged a neighborhood club house in northwest Harris County Christmas night.

The fire erupted around 6:30pm at the Lakes on Eldridge subdivision's club house in 12000 block of Lake Center Run.

By the time firefighters arrived on scene, the building was already engulfed in flames and quickly grew to two alarms from there, a Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department spokesperson said.

Firefighters went into defensive mode after the club house's roof collapsed but still faced an uphill battle bringing the fire under control because of Tuesday night's gusty winds.

About 50 firefighters helped battle the blaze, and one of them suffered a shoulder injury in the process. That firefighter was transported to Cy-Fair Hospital to seek treatment.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Stay with Eyewitness News and abc13.com for the latest details.

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Man's body found in ditch in northwest Houston

Authorities say the victim was found face down in the ditch overnight in northwest Houston.

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Police are investigating the death of a man who was found in a park overnight.

They made the discovery around midnight at Jim Lee Park on Peppermill near Valley Field in northwest Houston. Police say they received a call about a man found face down in a ditch at the park.

Investigators don't know if he was killed at the park, or if he was left there.

The victim is only described as a Hispanic male in his 20s. Detectives will be interviewing neighbors today.

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Driver dies after slamming into ambulance in northwest Houston

It was a close call for paramedics after a car slammed into the ambulance as they were about to load a patient. (ABC13 viewer)

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A driver was killed when he crashed his car into the back of an ambulance in northwest Houston overnight.

It happened around 12:30am on Kempwood near Ryson. Investigators say the ambulance was parked in the street while responding to a sick call. Two paramedics were standing nearby and saw the car coming and jumped out of the way.

The driver of the car became trapped and had to be rescued, but later died at the hospital. There is no word on what led to the crash.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Suspect killed in officer-involved shooting in northwest Houston

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A Houston police officer is recovering from stab wounds, while the man accused of attacking him is dead.

It all went down on Dewalt and West Montgomery in northwest Houston last night. Police say two undercover officers were sitting in an unmarked vehicle conducting surveillance when a couple of men approached them.

One of the men, identified as 51-year-old Kevin Bernard Hunter, began beating on the officers' vehicle and yelling profanities at them. Hunter then threatened to kill the officers. The officers then jumped into action after Hunter started stabbing and slashing at one of them.

"Both officers discharged their weapon, striking the suspect," said John Cannon with the Houston Police Department "The suspect was using a box cutter type instrument. Paramedics tried to revive him, but he died here at the scene."

The officer, a 20-year veteran of the Houston Police Department, was taken to the hospital. He was treated for his wounds and released.

Both officers are on administrative duty for three days, which is HPD policy.

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Overnight wreck shuts down Northwest Freeway

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Two people were hurt in an accident in northwest Houston overnight.

It happened on the Northwest Freeway at 43rd Street. Police say a driver slammed into the back of another vehicle, causing both cars to roll over. Both drivers were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

The freeway was partially closed due to the police investigation, but it has since been reopened.

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Boy, 11, fatally shot in northwest Houston

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Witnesses say kids playing with a loaded weapon at a home in northwest Houston ended in tragedy Sunday when an 11-year-old boy was shot and killed.

Houston police are calling this an accidental shooting.

They say the boy was with other children at a condominium complex in the 2000 block of Laverne Street near Hammerly Blvd. in the Spring Branch area when the shooting happened around 2pm.

The child's grandmother, Susan Wenzel, told us that her 11-year-old grandson, Alex Whitfield, died from a gunshot wound he suffered at his father's home.

Police told her and the boy's mother that the child was playing with four other children when they found a gun.

The grandmother says they were told a child grabbed the gun and it went off, ricocheting and hitting the boy.

"As soon as he got shot, he ran inside and he fell in the living room and my neighbor -- she's a nurse. She came outside and did CPR for 10 minutes, but he passed away," witness Brian Esparza said.

Wenzel says medical staff performed CPR on the child for 40 minutes, but couldn't bring him back.

Neighbors say no adult was home at the time of the shooting. The victim's grandmother confirms that a 16-year-old was babysitting the children.

The case is still under investigation.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Man's body found in northwest Harris County

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The body of a man was found Monday morning in northwest Harris County.

The body was found a short distance from the intersection of Dowdell and Kuykendahl near Tomball. Investigators say the body was discovered by a driver who was making a U-turn in the dead-end street when he saw what he believed to be a mannequin.

Deputies say the victim was naked, and no clothes were nearby, so for now they do not have any identification.

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Man shot to death in quiet northwest neighborhood

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Authorities are investigating a homicide in northwest Harris County.

According to investigators with the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable's Office, a man was shot in the 18000 block of Widcombe near Barker Cypress Road and Clay Road.

The victim was rushed to an area hospital where he later died, officials said.

The shooting happened in the Deerfield subdivision. Neighbors tell us it's usually a quiet residential area.

Investigators said a woman's ex-husband came over Saturday night and got into an argument with her new husband. It escalated to the point that the ex-husband pulled out a gun and shot the new husband in front of his wife and a five-year-old child.

No one else was injured.

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Off-duty officer shoots at car burglary suspect in northwest Harris County

There are reports of an officer-involved shooting in northwest Harris County.

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Police are searching for an attempted car burglary suspect who was interrupted by gunfire from an off-duty office in northwest Harris County.

The incident happened shortly before 4pm Thursday on Highway 249 at Gessner.

An undercover police officer was dining at a restaurant when he noticed that a suspicious man in a dark gray or black Charger parked next to his city-issued car. When the officer went outside to confront the man, he noticed the suspect had broken into his car, popped the trunk and was rummaging through it.

The suspect then jumped into his vehicle and the officer ordered him to stop but he didn't comply. When the suspect appeared to be reaching for something, the officer pulled out his gun and shot at the suspect's car several times.

But as the suspect tried to flee the parking lot, he hit another vehicle. Neither the driver nor the passenger inside that car was injured.

Police are still searching for the suspect.

Stay with Eyewitness News and abc13.com for the latest on this story.

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Suspects flee after crash in northwest Houston

   HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Houston police were searching for three suspects who fled a hit and run accident Saturday that injured a child and his father.

It happened around 8:30pm Saturday on W. Greens Rd. near the 12500 block of the North Freeway.

According to police, the suspects' vehicle was pulling out of the Kroger parking lot when they pulled in front of another car, striking it on the passenger side and flipping it.

Three men jumped out of the vehicle and fled the scene, authorities said.

A child and his father were in the overturned car, police said. They were transported to an area hospital with minor injuries.

Anyone with information about this accident can call the Houston Police Department.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

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