Police Defend Officers In Chase Shooting

HOUSTON -- Houston police said two officers were justified when they did not perform first aid to a suspect who they shot following a 40-mile high-speed police chase, KPRC Local 2 reported Friday.

"This is a very sad and unfortunate situation, but we normally do rely heavily on the fire department to come out there, the paramedics to come out there and administer medical attention," said Brian Lumpkin with HPD Internal Affairs.

Roland Carnaby, 52, died after the chase on April 29 that started on Highway 288 and ended in a short standoff on Woodway. Two officers shot Carnaby because they believed they saw something shiny in his hand, officials said.

Investigators found credentials that showed Carnaby worked for the Central Intelligence Agency, which the CIA denies.

Investigators said Carnaby did not work for any federal law enforcement agency.

Carnaby's family complained that police stood by and did nothing for at least 12 minutes before paramedics arrived.

"We are not trained paramedics. We receive very limited training on first aid and, quite frankly, as a practice, we have consistently relied on the expertise of paramedics and other folks to provide more life-saving initiatives," said Michael Dirden with HPD Criminal Investigations.

Dirden said he did not know when he was asked if the officers wanted to help.

"One of the reasons that they do this job is they want to help, so it's not like they shoot somebody and say, 'OK, we're going to let him lay there and die,'" he said.

The officers involved in the shooting have been cleared to return to active patrol.

Police said they still do not know why Carnaby led them on the chase after being pulled over for speeding.

Investigators said they found three guns in the SUV, but believe Carnaby was holding his phone.

The shooting remains under investigation.

Carnaby's family filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Houston and the Houston Police Department.