A Houston police officer has been hospitalized following a shooting incident in northwest Houston. According to Eyewitness News, the officer was responding to a call at an apartment complex on Hollister Street near U.S. 290 around 8 p.m. Monday when the shooting took place. The officer was subsequently taken to Memorial Hermann and is reportedly stable. The suspect involved has been detained, although details leading up to the encounter have not been fully disclosed.
Further details were provided by FOX 26 Houston which reported, that the incident began as a disturbance call involving a man assaulting a disabled elderly couple. When officers arrived, they were informed by family members that the suspect was nearby, continuing to assault others. The officers confronted the man around the corner of a building after being tipped off that he had a gun.
The officers issued voice commands to drop the weapon, however the altercation escalated as the suspect fired multiple rounds, striking the 11-year veteran officer in the upper thigh. It was determined by Houston Police that, despite the gunfire, no officers returned shots following the initial incident. In addition to the injured officer, another, a PPO officer with relatively little tenure, was involved but remained unharmed although shaken up by the events.
Both officers have been placed on administrative leave in the aftermath of the shooting, a standard procedure in such events. According to authorities, there is body camera footage of the incident, which is slated for release within 30 days in compliance with policy. The names of the officers have not been released as of yet, as some family members are still being notified.
