Houston has witnessed yet another instance of violence against law enforcement officers as a Harris County deputy, Deteryon Fontonet, was shot with an AR-15 rifle following a heated police pursuit sparked by a series of robberies. The events unfolded when Fontonet identified a vehicle matching the description of one used in robberies at two Academy Sports and Outdoors stores, triggering a chase that ended with the deputy being shot in the face. According to information from a Click2Houston report, the shootout occurred in the 5300 block of Slashwood Lane, before the suspect took refuge in a relative's home.
Constable Mark Herman has been actively overseeing the case, which took a dramatic turn when the suspect, identified as 23-year-old D'Anthony Simms-Coleman, confessed to the attempted murder of Deputy Fontonet and multiple robbery offenses. As reported by Houston Chronicle, the suspect has been arrested and was booked into the Harris County Jail on first-degree felony aggravated assault of a public servant, with additional charges pending further investigation.
The injured deputy has already begun the long road to recovery at home, although still bearing bullet fragments in multiple locations in his body. As constable investigators advised, his future medical procedures will be determined at a later date to address these injuries. Reflecting on the catastrophic incident, Herman stated, "The good Lord was looking out for our deputy," emphasizing the fortune that the injuries sustained by Fontenet were not fatal. Deputy Fontonet is expected to make a full recovery, needing facial surgery due to the bullet wound.
In a fraught engagement narrated by Herman, Fontonet, shot after the suspect refused to comply with demands to surrender, returned fire during the altercation, although it remains unclear as to how many rounds were discharged. With other deputies swiftly arriving at the scene, the armed confrontation ended without further incident and the suspect was apprehended. Herman noted the family's relief expressed to deputies for the non-lethal outcome of the suspect's detainee, "Once the man was in custody, the relatives thanked the deputies for not killing him." This remark, as told to the Houston Chronicle.
