Houston police confirm a male suspect was shot dead during a clash with officers last Friday evening at an apartment complex in central Houston.
At around 5:50 p.m. on March 1, Officers T. Kang and D. Samaniego, both assigned to the Central Patrol Division, responded to an assault-in-progress call at the address of 1250 Leona Street. Upon arrival, they encountered a tense scene. The identity of the deceased male suspect is still awaiting confirmation from the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, according to the City of Houston's news release.
The two officers, who joined the force in August 2021 and January 2024, respectively, were reportedly not harmed in the shootout. Details given by the HPD Special Investigations Unit indicate that the officers approached the apartment in question after hearing a woman screaming inside.
Kang and Samaniego were met with gunfire upon attempting to open the front door, as the armed suspect opened the door, pistol in hand, and began shooting at the officers. "The officers returned fire and the suspect was struck," according to the HPD's statement. Paramedics from the Houston Fire Department were summoned and pronounced the suspect dead at the scene.
This shooting case is now under the joint scrutiny of the HPD Special Investigations Unit, the Internal Affairs Division, and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, a standard procedure for officer-involved shootings within Houston city limits.