Showing posts with label shoots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shoots. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Deputy shoots Channelview man during disturbance

  Crystal KobzaCHANNELVIEW, TX (KTRK) -- A deputy-involved shooting is under investigation in northeast Harris County after a man was shot in the chest.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office tells us the Precinct 3 deputy constable was responding to a domestic disturbance call off Sheffield Terrace at Pennygent near Channelview just after 10pm when he discharged his weapon, hitting the suspect.

"It's just shocking to see the officer just shoot the man in the middle of the street," witness Keri Agee said. "The cop pulled out his gun and shot him. I watched him shoot him right in the middle of the street."

Agee says she was in her front yard hanging Christmas decorations when she saw the Precinct 3 deputy arrive at her neighbor's home.

"I looked back and saw the officer fire two shots, and I went and called 911," she said.

Agee tells us the suspect and the deputy were yelling at one another prior to the shooting and the suspect had started taking off his clothes in the middle of the street.

Seconds later -- in the midst of ordering the suspect to the ground -- the deputy fired the shots.

HCSO officials are investigating what exactly led up to the shooting.

"I honestly think he was trying to show the cop he didn't have anything on him," Agee said. "And he said, 'I don't have anything, you don't have any papers on me, you don't have anything on me, leave my house.'"

Shirley Pruett, who also lives nearby, says she also heard the commotion and was terrified after hearing gunfire.

"What I heard very loud and clear was somebody repeat, 'Shoot, shoot, shoot,'" Pruett said. "And then I heard pow, pow, pow."

The deputy involved was not injured. Authorities tell us he has been with the department for four years.

The suspect, whose identity has not been released, was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital. His condition is not known at this time.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


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Sunday, October 14, 2012

Officer shoots 'suspicious' man outside SWAT scene

  STAFFORD, TX (KTRK) -- A SWAT situation in Stafford this morning ended with an officer shooting a man who drove by the scene.

According to Stafford police, officers responded to a report of shots fired on Southmeadow near Mulholland.

When police arrived, the residents reportedly refused to come out of the house.

A SWAT team was called out. When they got to the scene, the residents came outside and surrendered to police.

Police said a driver then pulled up to the scene in an SUV and asked what was happening, at which point he begins to act suspiciously.

Officers confronted the man and asked him to exit the vehicle, but he refused, police said.

That's when an officer reached her left arm into the vehicle. The suspect allegedly rolled the window up on her arm and tried to drive away.

Police said the officer was in fear for her life. She discharged her weapon into the SUV, shattering the driver's side window and hitting the suspect.

The suspect was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital where he underwent surgery. He is expected to survive, police said.

The officer who fired her weapon and another officer were both taken to an area hospital with minor injuries.

No other details were released.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


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Saturday, October 13, 2012

HPD officer fatally shoots man near downtown Houston

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A Houston police officer shot and killed an unarmed man, whose family says he was mentally ill. Investigators say the man had already attacked three people, but neighbors still wonder why he had to be shot.

It all started with the suspect breaking into a neighbor's home in the middle of the night. But even that neighbor thinks the officer could have handled the situation differently.

Neighbors along Sampson at Reeves in the Third Ward say that Kenneth Releford was a handyman in the area. They say they knew he was mentally ill and they claim they were trying to tell police that when he was shot. Now the man who called 911 is questioning whether he made the right decision.

For the family who lives in a house on Francis Street, they are working to put things back to normal.

"I feel like it's my fault because i called, but I wasn't expecting it to go this far," said neighbor Roger Abbs.

Abbs, 61, was emotional when he recalled how he and his 87-year-old father were inside their house Wednesday night along with his nephews, ages 12 and 14, when all of a sudden their front door was kicked in by Releford, their 28-year-old neighbor and friend.

"It was something wrong with him, I believe," said one witness.

Police say Releford, whose father told Eyewitness News his son suffered from schizophrenia, got into a struggle with the elderly grandfather after police say the suspect walked into a back bedroom and groped one of the boys.

Abbs called 911 as Releford left the house. Minutes later police arrived and, according to HPD, an officer told Releford to stop.

"At that time the suspect continues to advance towards him very quickly on foot, with his left hand behind his back the entire time," said Houston Police Department spokesperson John Cannon. "The suspect is probably within a little more than arm length away, about five feet or so, and that's when the officer discharges his duty weapon and strikes the suspect."

But witnesses say they saw something different.

One witness said, "All I know is that the boy had his hands in sight."

"He had his hands up like this," witness Lisa Arowshere said.

Now neighbors and the suspect's father are questioning if deadly force was necessary.

"To me he could have tased him, to me, other than shoot," said Kenneth's father Audry Releford.

"People out here saying please don't shoot him because he is mentally retarded, even the man whose house that he kicked the door in," Arowshere recalled.

Releford died at the hospital. Police say he ignored repeated demands when Officer J. Roseman told him to stop. We asked why Officer Rosemon didn't use a stun gun. We were told that, as always in officer-involved shootings, that's under investigation. We also asked if someone from HPD's mental health crisis response team responded to the scene and officials confirm that no one did.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


local, samica knight

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Detectives: Brother shoots sister, then kills himself

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- An argument between young siblings prompted a deadly shooting in Walker County, according to the sheriff's office.

The shooting happened at about 9pm last night at home just outside of Huntsville. According to the Walker County Sheriff's Office, a 10-year-old boy and his 15-year-old sister had an argument. The brother reportedly went to a safe, retrieved a handgun and shot his sister several times, striking her in the shoulder, abdomen and leg. Detectives say the boy then shot himself.

"The parents did have the guns locked up, and he somehow was able to obtain the code to that safe," said Detective Greg Williams with the Walker County Sheriff's Office.

The children's mother was home at the time and heard the gunshots, then called 911.

Both children were taken by Life Flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital. The 15-year-old girl underwent surgery and is listed in critical condition. The boy died at the hospital.

Detectives have recovered the weapon and continue to investigate.

Miya Shay will have more on this story on ABC13 Eyewitness News.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


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Thursday, September 27, 2012

Deputies: Wife shoots husband in fight to protect family cat

SPRING, TX (KTRK) -- An argument between a husband and his wife ends in gunfire, sending him to the hospital, and landing her in custody. Investigators say the shooter was a woman taking aim at her own husband to protect her cat.

"Our neighborhood is so quiet," said neighbor Penny Brooks. "I just don't want anything like this to be happening in our neighborhood."

It happened at a home on Seaton Valley in northwest Harris County at 7:15am Tuesday. Precinct 4 Constables got a call from a man who said he had been shot, allegedly by his wife.

"I didn't hear anything," Brooks recalled. "I didn't know about it until I started to walk my dog, and there were constables and all sorts of cars out here."

Once they got to the scene, Precinct 4 constables began to piece together an unusual story. The wife, Audrey Miller, allegedly shot her husband because he threatened to kill one of the couple's cats.

"She must have loved that cat more than him," said neighbor Chris Russell. "There's something wrong with that no matter how you look at it."

Investigators say the exact reason of the initial argument is still unclear. But they do believe that after the couple argued, the husband threatened the life of one of the cats and that's when Miller apparently shot her husband in the side of the stomach while both were in the backyard.

He was treated and released from the hospital. Miller, 42, has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. All the cats were unhurt, while a neighborhood remains puzzled.

"I wouldn't want anyone to be shooting any animal, period," Brooks said. "We're definitely animal lovers."

The husband returned home Tuesday afternoon, and while he declined to talk on camera, he did say that he is all right but the situation is far from over.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


local, miya shay

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Sunday, September 23, 2012

HPD officer shoots, kills amputee in wheelchair

  Pooja LodhiaHOUSTON (KTRK) -- An amputee in a wheelchair was shot and killed by a Houston police officer Saturday at a group home for the mentally ill, and we've learned this is not the first time officer has fatally shot a suspect.

The Houston Police Department said Brian Claunch -- a one-armed, one-legged man in a wheelchair -- threatened Ofc. M. Marin and waved an object that later turned out to be a ballpoint pen.

The shooting happened just southeast of downtown Houston at the Healing Hands group home on Polk at Sidney.

"Officer Marin, in fear of the safety of his partner and the safety of himself, discharges his duty weapon striking the suspect," HPD spokesperson Jodi Silva said.

Silva told us police were called to Healing Hands around 2:30am. The overnight caretaker said Claunch was acting aggressively and repeatedly asking for soda and cigarettes.

Marin and his partner entered the home and Claunch kept swinging an object at them. After ignoring numerous requests to drop the object, police say Claunch cornered Marin's partner in the room.

"The officers made verbal commands for the suspect to drop whatever he had in his hand, to stay still and to speak with the officers, but the suspect continued to make threats," Silva said.

That's when Marin shot Claunch once in the head. He died at the scene. The object he was holding turned out to be pen.

Two other residents were inside the home at the time of the shooting and the caretaker was outside. They were all questioned.

The owner of the group home, John Garcia, said Claunch enjoyed drawing on paper.

"At the table, he would write on a pad of paper," he said. "He liked to doodle. He was always doodling on the table. He'd write there."

Garcia said Claunch lived in the house for about 18 months and was and schizophrenic and had bipolar disorder. He lost his arm and leg after being hit by a train years ago, he said.

According to Garcia, Claunch was capable of making a person feel threatened during a time of outrage, despite his physical state. He added that it's an everyday challenge taking care of those with severe mental illnesses.

"You just never know when they are going to go off," Garcia said. "That's all you can say. You just don't know. They can be very calm and then all of a sudden, within five minutes, it's a different dimension."

We called clinical psychologist Dr. Ed Reitman for his reaction.

"Emotionally disturbed individuals, when threatened, are going to react in most instances, excessively," Reitman said.

Reitman added that the mentally ill patient may not have understood the officer's request to put down the pen.

"This was an incident that didn't have to take place if the individual -- a police officer -- had been trained in dealing with emotionally disturbed individuals," Reitman said.

HPD has officers who are specially trained to deal with the mentally ill. The department won't comment on whether Marin was trained in that program.

We have 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, Marin 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.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


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Saturday, September 22, 2012

Man fatally shoots co-worker while 'playing around' with gun

According to investigators, two male employees were playing around with a gun at this business when one man fatally shot the other. According to investigators, two male employees were playing around with a gun at this business when one man fatally shot the other.

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A man was fatally shot by a fellow employee while the two were messing around with a gun and knife.

The Harris Co. Sheriff's Office says deputies at around 8:45am Friday responded to a 911 call at 6500 Cunningham Rd. According to investigators, two male employees were playing around. One had a gun and the other had a knife when the gun went off striking one of the males.

The male was transported to Cy-Fair Hospital where he was pronounce deceased. His identity has not been released.

The case will be referred to a grand jury.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

HCSO: Security guard shoots 4 outside night club

  Crystal KobzaHOUSTON (KTRK) -- One man was killed and three others were wounded when deputies say a security guard opened fire outside an after-hours club early Sunday.

It happened around 6am at the Bronco Nite Club on Veterans Memorial near West Road in northwest Harris County.

Dozens of club patrons witnessed the shooting.

"The guy died in the parking lot because the security guard shot him," witness Brenda Romero said. "He shot him because he was drunk and he got into a confrontation with the security guard. The security guard came back and shot; that's it."

Witnesses said multiple shots were fired.

"I almost got shot," witness Lina Deleon said. "I had to run to the back."

According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, the security guard was in the process of escorting several people out of the club at closing time when a fight started.

Detectives said the guard shot all four victims when they all assaulted him at once. One man died at the scene. Three others were taken to area hospitals. Officials said one had serious injuries and the other two were minor.

"The security guard: he has been assaulted; he has physical injuries, trauma injuries, not a gunshot wound," HCSO Sgt. Ben Beall said.

Romero told us she comes to the club often but has never witnessed things get this out of control. She said the deceased victim -- a man who appeared to be in his 20s -- was shot in the chest.

She tried to help him, but he died in her arms.

"I really don't know him," Romero said. "I was just trying to tell him to stay up with me to help him out."

Investigators spent the morning questioning club patrons. They are now looking into whether the club was able to sell alcohol.

According to investigators, the area is no stranger to problems. Officials say they have received 12 calls for service in the last two months at the strip center where Bronco is located. The owner of the club reportedly locked up the bar and left the scene after the shooting happened.

Detectives said they will complete their investigation at the scene and send evidence and witness statements to the district attorney's office, where it will be decided whether the security guard will be charged.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


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Saturday, May 26, 2012

Off-duty HPD officer fatally shoots suspect in Galveston

See it on TV? Check here.   GALVESTON, TX (KTRK) -- An off-duty Houston police officer shot and killed a suspect in Galveston overnight.

It happened near San Luis. It's still not clear what led up to the shooting but the officer was not hurt in the confrontation.

We're still working to gather information and will update you on this story in our newscasts throughout the morning, as well as on abc13.com and our mobile apps.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Monday, May 14, 2012

Police: Suspect in SWAT standoff shoots himself

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Houston police say a man shot himself after stabbing his wife and being holed up inside a home for nearly four hours.

Houston Police Department SWAT officers rushed the home on Beacham near Louetta in northwest Harris County around 11pm Saturday.

Precinct 4 Constable's Office deputies said it all started around 6:30pm when the man and his wife got into an argument.

According to officials, the man stabbed his wife in the chest, but she was able to make it outside and call 911.

The woman was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital and is expected to survive.

Deputies called in the HPD SWAT team when the man refused to come outside and a standoff ensued.

After nearly four hours, officials said communication with the man broke down. Then, they heard a shot.

Officers forced their way inside and found the man with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

He was rushed to Northwest Medical Center in unknown condition.

We'll continue to follow this story and update you with new information as it becomes available.

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Saturday, May 12, 2012

Homeowner shoots home invasion suspect

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A northwest Harris County homeowner shot a suspected robber Thursday morning during a violent home invasion. Now deputies are searching for two other suspects.

Investigators don't know if this was a planned home invasion or a random target. If it was random, they picked the wrong house.

The homeowner's girlfriend walked into the house but didn't lock the door. A few moments later, the door flew open, according to what she told investigators, and it wasn't the wind.

"Three black male suspects followed her into the house," said Lt. Jeff Stauber with the Harris County Sheriff's Office Theft Division. "She heard them coming up behind her."

The homeowner's 12-year-old son was in the home. Detectives said that one of three masked gunmen grabbed him. That's when the homeowner emerged from a bedroom with a gun of his own -- and used it.

Lt. Stauber said, "Fearing for his son's life, he fired a shot at one of the suspects and struck the suspect in the left shoulder."

All three suspects, including the one wounded in his shoulder, got away. He was dropped off at a hospital in Katy, where he was arrested. A photo spread was shown to the girlfriend and the boy at the scene.

Drug dogs were also brought in to search in cars near the house. The dog alerted, perhaps on residue. From these cars, at least, no drugs appear to have been found.

The suspect is now in the county jail. The search for his two companions continues.

At this point investigators say they don't know if this was a drug-related home invasion. The suspect in jail has been charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


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Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Officer shoots suspected burglar at Pasadena school

PASADENA, TX (KTRK) -- A Pasadena ISD police officer shot a 14-year-old breaking into a school trailer overnight.

It happened around 12:45am at Miller Intermediate School off Fairmont Parkway near Foxmeadow.

According to the district, the officer confronted a 14-year-old male suspect. The officer says the suspect appeared to have something in his hand, possibly a bag of some sort. The officer says he felt threatened, so he opened fire, shooting the suspect in the chest.

"Before back-up arrived, the suspect came out of the building. The officer confronted the suspect at that point, and a single shot was fired," said Superintendent of schools Kirk Lewis with the Pasadena ISD.

The suspect was taken by Life Flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital and is listed in stable condition.

Investigators have confirmed the 14-year-old was not armed. The incident is under investigation.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


pasadena, local, katie mccall

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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Deputy fatally shoots suspected burglar

See it on TV? Check here.   HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A Harris County Sheriff's deputy shot and killed a suspected burglar in northwest Harris County Monday morning.

A woman was home with her three-year-old son when someone started banging on her door. The woman ran with her son to a neighbor's home to call 911.

Deputies showed up and two suspects ran out while a third jumped from a second floor window. A deputy fought with one suspect whom the officer shot and killed. The other suspects got away.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Monday, January 9, 2012

HPD officer shoots suspect after chase, crash

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- An overnight police chase ended when a Houston police officer shot and wounded a suspect inside a homeowner's backyard.

It started around 12:30am Sunday when the officer tried to pull over the suspect on Green River near Mesa in east Houston.

The suspect kept going until he crashed in northeast Harris County on Abalone Way near Flower Path.

The suspect's vehicle plowed through a woman's fence and hit patio furniture, along with another items. The homeowner said she was asleep when she heard the crash and thought the vehicle might come right into her bedroom.

After the crash, the suspect and the officer got into a fight. Police said the officer feared for his life and fired his weapon.

The suspect was hit in the shoulder, according to officials, and he is expected to survive his injuries.

The officer was not injured, but authorities said another officer responding to the incident hurt his knee.

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Friday, December 30, 2011

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

See it on TV? Check here.There are reports of an officer-involved shooting 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.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Homeowner shoots suspected auto thief

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A suspected car thief was killed after an early morning confrontation in north Houston.

According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, at around 4:45am the homeowner heard his truck being stolen outside his house in the Whispering Pines subdivision and saw the suspect drive off in his vehicle. The homeowner told his wife to call 9-1-1, armed himself, jumped into his other vehicle and followed the suspect.

Near the intersection of Atascocita and Will Clayton Parkway, the homeowner caught up to the suspect and told police that the suspect displayed what he believed to be a firearm.

Police say the homeowner opened fire and struck the suspect, who crossed the southbound lanes of Atascocita in the truck and crashed into a ditch.

The suspect, later identified as 19-year-old Damion Gibson, was transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Investigators say the suspect may not have picked the best target.

"Our homeowner, he is a Desert Storm veteran, he is ex-military, and from talking to the patrolmen up here, they have had a rash of auto thefts up here over the last couple of months and so the man was just protecting his property," said Deputy Ben Bell.

The case will now go to a Harris County Grand Jury to decide if charges will be filed.

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Off-duty officer shoots man outside SE Houston restaurant

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Houston police have already filed aggravated assault charges against the man who reportedly threatened an off-duty officer with a knife. But there are questions about exactly what happened at the Denny's on the Gulf Freeway near Airport around 3am Thursday.

Officer Julio Lopez is off the streets and on desk duty for at least the next three days as HPD Internal Affairs, Homicide and the District Attorney's Office investigate. While police claim the man who was shot threatened the officer and his brother with a knife, some say the incident is not as cut and dry as HPD is making it out to be.

No one answered the door at Officer Lopez's southeast Houston townhome on Thursday. The five-year veteran HPD officer lives just a few miles from the Denny's restaurant where police say he shot and wounded a man who allegedly threatened the officer with a knife. It happened in the parking lot.

Lopez, who was off-duty, had stopped here to have breakfast with his brother and cousin after leaving a nightclub. That's when they started arguing with Clemente Vela, 32, and two other men.

HPD spokesman Victor Senties said, "The officer discharged his weapon at least twice into the air and repeatedly identified himself as a police officer. The suspect ignored that, got even more aggressive and went towards the officer with a knife in his hand as if he was about to stab him."

But there are conflicting accounts over what led up to the shooting. A witness who was inside the Denny's told Eyewitness News that Lopez was being loud, claims he appeared drunk and that Lopez made racially offensive remarks that angered Vela and his two friends, who are all minorities.

Lopez's attorney Chad Hoffman said, "I spent more than six hours with the officer today and he clearly was not intoxicated."

Hoffman told us it is standard procedure for an off-duty officer to submit a blood alcohol sample after discharging his weapon, though it's unclear if that was done in this case. Houston Police Union President Ray Hunt says HPD policy puts police officers between a rock and a hard place.

"One general order says that any measureable amount of alcohol in your system, you are prohibited from taking any police action," Hunt explained. "Another general order says that you're a police officer 24/7 and that if you see something occurring you shall take action."

Vela was shot at least four times and is recovering in the hospital. He's been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Officer Lopez has been with hpd since January of 2006.

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local, andy cerota

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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Officer fatally shoots suspect in NE Houston

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A suspect was killed when a Houston police officer says he was forced to fire his weapon during a struggle because he feared for his life.

It happened around 11:3pm Sunday near an apartment complex off Tidwell and Mesa road on the northeast side.

Family members have identified the suspect as Blake Pate. They say Pate was simply driving a Camaro to go visit another family member when he got himself involved in a car crash. A car crash, they say, is one thing, but there is no reason why he should be dead.

Brothers Eric and Miles Jones still want answers. They want to know why a Houston police officer shot and kill their uncle, Blake Pate, Christmas evening.

"I just want to know what happened out there, exactly," Eric Jones said.

"There is too much information missing between him being told to stop with the officer's weapon drawn and him scuffled to the ground," Miles Jones said.

On Sunday night, Pate was driving this black Camaro with racing stripes when he lost control and crashed it into a ditch near a north Houston apartment complex. An officer leaving the complex saw the crash and tried to arrest Pate.

Eyewitness Anedra Duncan describes what happened next.

"He told him to go to the other side of the police car, and when he went to other side of the police car, he called him back and the guy stuck his hands out, and he started shooting, and the man fell toward on (the officer)," she said.

But the officer involved, Sgt. Curtis Hampton, told a different story through a Houston police spokesman.

"At one point, the officer wound up on his back on the ground with the suspect standing directly over him. That suspect then reached for the officer and the officer, fearing for his safety, fired his duty weapon, striking the suspect," HPD Spokesman Kese Smith said.

Duncan, though, says she saw no struggle.

"I'm telling you he stuck his hands out, and then there was the shooting; it was pow, pow, pow, pow, pow," Duncan said.

The Jones brothers say Pate was helping them launch a furniture repair business. They say he didn't have a gun, not even a cell phone with him. And they simply don't understand why police had to shoot.

"I definitely don't see him putting any aggression toward an officer, I mean he's not stupid, so I think the officer reacted stupidly -- definitely -- and caused a lot of hurt to our family," Miles Jones said.

Pate's mother is on her way from Arkansas, according to the Jones. Police did not recover a weapon. In fact, a lieutenant on the scene told us they don't believe the suspect was armed at all.

The police sergeant was not injured. He is on administrative leave for three days while this investigation continues, which is HPD protocol.

We're awaiting results of a toxicology report to determine if that suspect was under the influence at the time of the accident.

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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Fake utility worker shoots homeowner during robbery

  LEAGUE CITY, TX (KTRK) -- Police say a man impersonating a utility worker shot a homeowner during an aggravated robbery in an upscale League City neighborhood.

It happened Saturday morning at a home in the 2800 Block of Carrera Court in the Tuscan Lakes neighborhood.

According to officials, a man came to the home dressed as a construction worker, telling the homeowners he needed to come inside to check on the water pressure.

The homeowners allowed the man inside, but then they became suspicious and told him to leave.

A struggle ensued between the male homeowner and the suspect and the suspect shot the man in the leg, police said.

Officials said the suspect then fled the home and ran to a waiting vehicle. The getaway driver drove them away via Porta Rosa Lane.

The male victim was transported by Life Flight to Memorial Herman Hospital. Police said the gunshot wound appears to be non-life-threatening.

It was unclear if the gunman stole anything from the home.

The gunman is described as a white or light-skinned Latino male in his early 20s with a slender build and medium length dark hair. He was wearing a utility jacket, blue hat and a utility belt.

The getaway driver is also described as a white or light-skinned Latino male. He was driving a grey coupe with a trunk (not a hatchback), with lightly tinted windows, similar to a Honda Civic or Honda Accord. The car was also described as being about four to five years old.

Police are urging anyone who might have information about this case to contact Detective Hammann at 281-554-1819. League City police are also asking for anyone who lives in the area that has video surveillance that may have captured the incident to call the same number.

Police are reminding residents to check credentials and obtain verification from the employee's business office of any worker who shows up for an unscheduled appointment prior to allowing them inside the home. If residents have suspicions about whether or not a person has legitimate business at their home, they should immediately contact the police department.

According to Michael Huynh, City of League City Water Production Superintendent, water department employees will only be sent to a home to check on water pressure at the request of the homeowner. The city employee will then check the water pressure from the outside of the home. All city employees will be dressed in a city uniform to include a city logo and name on the shirt and will be driving a city vehicle with a city logo on the vehicle.

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