Early this morning, the family of Tony Underwood, a man shot by Houston police during a chase in what was reported as a stolen SUV, along with community leaders and eyewitnesses gathered outside Ben Taub Hospital, demanding answers to a shooting they describe as unwarranted and are set to hold a press conference. As Click2Houston reported, despite claims by the Houston Police Department (HPD) that Underwood was armed and presented a threat, his family argues that he was unarmed and holding a water bottle, not a weapon when shot by the officer.
The incident occurred late Wednesday night with police attempting to stop the SUV on Reed Road near Highway 288, leading to a brief pursuit that ended with the vehicle crashing at Tierwester Village apartments, and while HPD claims that Underwood brandished a weapon before a struggle ensued, the suspect's relative maintains that Underwood had his hands up and was simply carrying a water bottle, challenging the police's version of events; "They shot him in the back for no reason. He surrendered. He had his hands up. They weren't right," Hornsby, Underwood's cousin, told abc13. Following the chase, Underwood is now in critical condition and restrained to his hospital bed under police custody, and his family is voicing their frustrations regarding the lack of transparency and consistent updates on his condition.
Speakers at the planned vigil and press conference include Attorney Courtney Vincent, State Representative Ron Reynolds, and Dr. David Jeremiah, who are expected to demand transparency and accountability for Underwood, who has a history of mental illness, and the officer involved, a four-year HPD veteran, whose body camera footage is expected to be released within 30 days as per department policy, according to Click2Houston.
Underwood's girlfriend had reported the SUV as stolen following an argument earlier in the week; the same vehicle was recognized by authorities leading to the attempted traffic stop and subsequent chase, Underwood's brother Tom has expressed his struggle to obtain information regarding his brother's condition, stating, "Nobody's giving me nothing. I'd done called all around police," in a statement obtained by abc13.
The HPD has confirmed an internal investigation is underway, involving the Special Investigations Unit and Internal Affairs, as well as the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
