A man was fatally shot by police after he began firing at officers during a response to a domestic disturbance call near downtown Houston, according to ABC13. The incident occurred at The Exchange Apartments on Leona Street around 5:45 p.m.
Upon their arrival responding to reports of domestic dispute and assault, Houston police officers were met with gunfire after knocking on the suspect's door to seemingly try and de-escalate the situation. "They were knocking on the door and ringing the doorbell and then the suspect just opened the door and began discharging," Asst. Chief Ben Tien said in a statement obtained by ABC13. The officers took cover and returned fire as the neighborhood looked on.
Houston Police Department's post on X confirmed that their commanders and Public Information Officer were dispatched to the scene, as the suspect shot at officers, who in turn discharged their weapons and struck the suspect. Following the exchange, no officers were reported injured.
HPD Commanders and PIO are en route to an officer involved shooting in the 1200 block of Leona St. about 5:45 pm.
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) March 2, 2024
Prelim info is suspect shot at officer. Officer discharged & struck suspect.
Suspect condition unknown at this time. No officers hurt. More at the scene.#HouNews pic.twitter.com/g3VTsDB1pq
Residents of the area expressed their shock at the violence that had pierced the tranquility of their community. "We was coming and the police just kept coming, coming, coming. I thought they was chasing somebody," Denise Johnson told ABC13. Another local, Renell Strauss, remarked on the rarity of such events: "This is a very prestige neighborhood. Nothing never happens." The inside of the apartment revealed an uninjured woman and the dead suspect, described as a man in his 20s, who was found to possess two guns, though it wasn't clear if he had used both during the shooting.
