A suspect has been charged following an incident where Houston police officers returned fire at 2400 Cavalcade Street yesterday evening. According to a news release from the City of Houston, the altercation occurred at around 7:20 p.m. and resulted in the suspect being shot and hospitalized.
Matthew Donovan Ward, 39, has been charged with aggravated assault against a public servant. Still in hospital care, a 2023 booking photo of Ward accompanies the release. Although four HPD officers discharged their weapons during the encounter, none reported any injuries. Sworn in as officers from August 2024 and September 2019, the officers fired after the suspect attempted to shoot at them but the weapon malfunctioned amidst his threatening posture.
Officers A. Sosa, D. Gray, K. Redd, and C. King, who are part of the HPD's Central Patrol Division, were the law enforcement involved, as stated in the release. Their respective times in the force vary, with Sosa and Redd having joined the force as recently as this summer. The scene, according to Special Investigations Unit Detectives D. Hammons and M. Childs, was initially a response to reports of a male firing a weapon into the air and potentially at passing vehicles.
The suspect, struck by at least one bullet, fled on foot but was caught soon after without further trouble. The shooting, precipitated by the suspect's aggression, is currently under investigation by Houston's Special Investigations Unit, the Internal Affairs Division, and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
