A fatal encounter between Houston police and a 42-year-old armed suspect at a gas station on the North Freeway service road led to the suspect's death. The incident occurred around 9:40 p.m. yesterday, when HPD Officer J. McGowan, discharging her duty weapon, fatally shot the suspect during a struggle, as the City of Houston News reported.
Officers were responding to a trespassing call and had detained two males, one of whom was released with a warning. The deceased, whose identity is pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, reportedly pushed away from officers and moved his hands toward his concealed pistol when they attempted to arrest him. Despite verbal warning from the officers, the confrontation escalated, "Officers gave the suspect verbal commands not to do so and, as the struggled continued, one officer discharged a weapon and struck the suspect one time," according to the statement obtained by City of Houston News.
In a separate report by Hoodline, the HPD confirmed the incident, which took place around the same time on Werner Street in north Houston, noting a male suspect was engaged by police at a business and consequently shot. The suspect would later be pronounced dead at a local hospital following the encounter. No officers were reported injured during the event.
As standard procedure dictates in HPD officer-involved shootings within the city limits, the case will be investigated by the HPD Special Investigations Unit, the Internal Affairs Division and the Harris County District Attorney's Office. Details surrounding the shooting, including further identification of the suspect, are anticipated as the investigation moves forward. "Officials have yet to release further details about the identity of the suspect or the circumstances that led to the shooting," the Hoodline article added, though updates are expected as the case develops.
