A Houston man with a wrap sheet is facing a decade behind bars for brandishing heat at a cop. U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani disclosed that 33-year-old Tomas Rodriguez pled guilty to federal charges as a felon in possession of a firearm after he aimed a loaded pistol at a local officer.

The gun-toting encounter unfolded back in September 2021 when the lawman was investigating an assault at a Houston parking lot. According to the Department of Justice, Rodriguez made a break for it, tripped, and when ordered to stay down, he got up and pointed the weapon at the officer. The cop shot in self-defense, but Rodriguez, unscathed, decided to bolt, ditching the firearm during the chase before cops nabbed him.

Rodriguez's history of felony convictions bars him from packing firearms and ammo, making his latest brush with the law a federal offense. U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett took the plea and set the sentencing date for August 8. Rodriguez could see up to 10 years in prison. This case was brought to light by the collective efforts of the Houston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black leading the prosecution.