Following a tense confrontation in Southwest Houston, charges have been filed against a man who brandished a rifle at Houston Police Department officers, prompting them to discharge their weapons. The incident, which unfolded near a school in the 14000 block of Buxley Street, concluded with the suspect hitting in at least one gunshot and later arrested. City of Houston News reported the suspect, identified as 54-year-old Walter L. Howard, now faces multiple charges.
Howard has been charged with four counts of aggravated assault of a peace officer and one count of evading arrest with a vehicle, as reflected in case files from the 183rd State District Court. Details released by Houston Police elaborate on the chain of events, starting with an unrelated undercover investigation by the Southwest Patrol Division's Crime Suppression Team. According to officers testimony, the situation escalated when Howard confronted the officers, made a brief departure, and then returned equipped with body armor, a tactical helmet, and what appeared to be a rifle case. When uniformed officers later attempted a traffic stop, Howard engaged in a pursuit that culminated in him pointing his rifle at pursuing officers twice. The shooting and subsequent arrest followed this escalation.
In the wake of the incident, none the officers involved—Officers M. Gessner, K. Khalid, K. Acevedo, and J. Joseph—sustained injuries. They all joined the Southwest Patrol Division between May 2020 and July 2019. The HPD's Special Investigations Unit, along with the Internal Affairs Division and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, are conducting an investigation into the shooting, as is standard for officer-involved shootings within city limits.
Paramedics attended to Howard, transporting him to a local hospital after officers provided first aid; he was treated and released back into custody. A booking photo of Howard has been disseminated alongside the official news release.
