In a tragic encounter yesterday afternoon, a Houston Police Department officer fatally shot a man identified as Larry Menifee Jr., after he had reportedly been threatening family members and was seen armed with a weapon in the Kashmere Gardens area.
The incident unfolded just after 2 p.m. near Wayne Street, where officers were dispatched following reports of a suspicious individual. Assistant Chief James Skelton detailed that the suspect was confronted by police and given orders to relinquish his weapon, as parishioners from nearby churches departed from their services, according to Click2Houston. Menifee, however, purportedly escalated the situation by raising the gun, which led to the officer discharging his firearm, resulting in Menifee's death at the scene.
In response to the shooting, Menifee's father has spoken out about his son's battle with mental health issues. In a statement obtained by Click2Houston, the heartbroken father described his son as a person who struggled with bipolar disorder and often could not afford his medication. He emphasized that despite the day's events, his son was not a criminal but "a very loving son — very compassionate."
The elder Menifee also mentioned that just hours before the fatal encounter, his son had expressed optimism about starting a new job, seeking a fresh beginning. "I told him God was blessing him," his father recounted. The family lamented that the situation might have ended differently had mental health professionals been involved before the officers' arrival. “They need medical professionals with these officers,” Menifee said, “They’re not trained to deal with these types of situations the way they should be," as noted by Click2Houston.
KHOU reports that the involved officer, a three-year veteran of the HPD's Northeast Division, will be placed on administrative leave while the department investigates the shooting further. Assistant Chief Skelton stated that "Once the suspect was down, officers attended to our descendant and noticed there were no further measures they could do." The officer's actions are currently under review by HPD's Special Investigations Unit, Internal Affairs Division, and the Harris County District Attorney's Office. Additionally, body-worn camera footage from the incident is expected to be released within 30 days.
