A tragic incident unfolded near NRG Park on Wednesday when a man, during a welfare check conducted by the Houston Police Department (HPD), died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. According to Click2Houston, the situation began in the 7900 block of North Stadium Drive after family members out of state expressed concerns over the man's well-being, leading to the police intervention.
Officers from HPD arrived at the scene around 1:16 p.m. but initially could not make contact with the individual, Assistant Chief Wyatt Martin stated they were unable to get a response at the apartment when they first arrived, after which they engaged the assistance of the Houston Fire Department; these officers and firefighters were met with gunshots upon forcibly entering the apartment at 2:14 p.m. to ensure the man's safety. "Unfortunately at that time someone in the apartment fired several rounds with a firearm. We don’t know for certain whether the rounds were fired directly at the officers but they were fired in the vicinity of the officers," Martin said, as reported by Click2Houston.
The ensuing events saw police retreat and attempt further communication, only to hear a subsequent gunshot believed to indicate the man's suicide, the officers who were inside at the time of the firing retreated outside, where they sought cover and continued attempts to reach out to the man, these efforts led to the discovery of another gunshot noise, which, Assistant Chief Wyatt Martin believes was the man taking his own life. A SWAT team, which arrived around 4 p.m., later confirmed the man's death inside the apartment.
While reports on social media initially described the situation as an officer-involved shooting at the residence on North Stadium Drive, further clarification revealed that no officers were injured or fired their weapons during the incident. The story is still developing, and more information is expected to be released following the preliminary investigation by HPD Commanders and the Public Information Office who were on their way to the scene, as indicated by the initial social media brief.
HPD Commanders and PIO are en route to 7900 North Stadium Drive for an officer-involved shooting.
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) June 26, 2024
No other info is available at this time.
More info to be provided at the scene.#Hounews pic.twitter.com/PDzydi1r1w
