Video shows aftermath of machete-wielding man shot by police

HOUSTON – Lying on his back in the middle of the street, the cell phone video shows the man is clearly in pain, moments after he was shot both in the leg and stomach -- police say, by one of their own.

"They were saying drop the weapon, drop the weapon," witness Isaiah Roberts said.

Crime scene markers took the place of where the man once laid. Isaiah Roberts said he heard police yell the command at least 10 times before the shots were fired.

Officers initially responded to reports of a burglary at a home near Estrellita Drive and West Road at noon.

VIDEO: Sky 2 over scene of officer-involved shooting

Authorities said a 36-year-old man was using a machete to break open the back windows of a house at 14874 Old Creek Road

"I wasn't sure what was going to happen, thought maybe he would drop the shovel and listen, but no, he didn't listen," Roberts said.

Roberts thought the man was first holding a shovel, but police said the weapon was actually machete.

"The suspect started entering the backyard, he grabbed a machete and started breaking out the windows to the house," HPD Assistant Chief Lori Bender said.

Roberts heard the crash of the windows, and that's when he decided to watch and record.

He says the suspect then went after the homeowner. The two went round and round the white truck while the homeowner waited to for police to arrive.

"Shortly after, they go around the truck a few times and the cops drove up and the guy follows them instead," Roberts said.

A KPRC2 viewer sent video of the aftermath of the shooting.

Police said the suspect turned on them.

"They're backing up. They back up about 40 feet, and finally kind of run out of room. He raises the machete at which time, they fire the rounds," Bender said.

Roberts believe the officers had no other choice.

"They did what they were supposed to. He wasn't listening to them, and basically you know, they are the law. And so they had to do what they had to do in order to detain them," Roberts said.

Police said Officers Perez and Castillo were threatened by the man who continued to advance towards them which led to discharging their duty weapons. Perez and Castillo were not injured.  

That suspect is undergoing surgery at Ben Taub Hospital. He is expected to survive.

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