Suspect who allegedly shot 3 officers in Houston is in custody, police say
A suspect who allegedly shot and wounded three officers in Houston on Thursday is now in custody, police tweeted. The suspect spent hours barricaded in a house after fleeing the scene of the shooting, police said.
The incident began at around 2:40 p.m. local time when officers responded to a home for a reported disturbance, Police Chief Troy Finner said Thursday evening at a news conference. The suspect fled in a gray car, leading police on a chase that ended when the suspect crashed.
Officers got out of their vehicles and the suspect began to shoot at them with an automatic weapon, with officers returning fire, Finner said. Police do not know if the suspect was shot.
The three injured officers have been identified by police as N. Gadson, 35, with four years of service; D. Hayden, 32, with 3 years of service; and A. Alvarez, 28, with two years of service. They sustained non-life threatening injuries: one was shot in the foot, one was shot in the arm and one was shot in the leg, Mayor Sylvester Turner said. He said he visited the officers in the hospital and all were "in good spirits" and "talkative."
The suspect fled the scene of the shooting after carjacking a white Mercedes at gunpoint, Finner said. Authorities located the suspect in a single-level house that may have been where the suspect lives. The suspect began to shoot at officers as they surrounded the house, and officers returned fire. No officers were injured.
According to Finner, there were people at the home when the suspect arrived, but they fled.
The suspect surrendered to authorities around 7:45 p.m. local time Thursday. He exited the house with his hands up, and had a gunshot wound to the neck. Finner said he will likely undergo surgery.
The police chief said the police department will release video of the shooting when it can.
"You have some brave officers that put their lives on the line every day. I'm proud of them," Finner said.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott released a statement late Thursday, saying the state was grieving over "yet another violent attack on our law enforcement officers."
"Violence against the police will never be tolerated in the Lone Star State," the statement said. "The State of Texas will ensure that the City of Houston and the Houston Police Department have the resources and support they need to ensure swift justice for the perpetrator."