A Harris County Sheriff's Office deputy is now facing a murder charge after an early-morning shooting at a north Harris County gas station last year left a man dead. Deputy Aileen Barboza, 36, was indicted by a grand jury and has made her initial court appearance. Authorities say the shooting happened Feb. 27, 2025, and the man who was shot, 36-year-old Levincer Swanson, later died at an area hospital.
According to the Houston Chronicle, the grand jury returned the indictment on Thursday, and Barboza appeared Friday in the 486th District Court with her attorney, Paul Aman. Judge Aaron Burdette set her bail at $50,000. The sheriff's office said Barboza, who has been with the agency since 2010, was moved to administrative duty after the shooting. An internal affairs investigation later concluded she had violated multiple policies, and the sheriff's office recommended that she be fired. In body camera audio quoted by the Chronicle, Barboza can be heard saying, "Oh my god I don’t want to have to f------- shoot him. I’m afraid I’m going to have to shoot him," just before she opens fire.
Bodycam Shows Struggle Before Fatal Gunfire
Body-worn and surveillance video released last year captures the deputies approaching Swanson at the convenience store, followed by a tense struggle in front of the gas station. As detailed by the Houston Chronicle, a male deputy deployed a stun gun during the encounter, and the Taser fell to the pavement. Moments later, Barboza fired her weapon, hitting Swanson in the torso.
The sheriff's office posted the video on its YouTube channel. Emergency responders then took Swanson to a nearby hospital, where he later died, turning what began as a chaotic confrontation into a homicide case with a deputy now in the defendant's chair.
Department Response And What Comes Next
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the sheriff's office put Barboza on administrative duty while internal investigators reviewed what happened. That inquiry ultimately found she had violated several department policies, and officials recommended she be terminated, according to the reporting.
The grand jury's decision moves the case squarely into the criminal courts. Prosecutors and defense attorneys will now work through pretrial hearings, evidence sharing, and other early steps that set the stage for a potential trial. While grand jury indictments of deputies in the Houston area are relatively rare, they are not unheard of. In 2023, for example, a Harris County deputy was indicted after a separate fatal shooting, according to the Associated Press.
What An Indictment Actually Means
An indictment is a grand jury's determination that there is probable cause to believe a crime was committed and that the accused should face trial. It is a starting gun, not a finish line. Barboza has been charged, not convicted.
From here, prosecutors will file the formal charging documents and schedule additional court dates, while the sheriff's office continues its internal disciplinary process on a separate track. Court records list the case in the 486th District Court, and Judge Burdette has set Barboza's bond at $50,000 following her first appearance.
