HOUSTON -- A police officer shot a suspected carjacker outside the police department's headquarters on Sunday, KPRC Local 2 reported.

Houston police said Victor Daniel Lebron-Vasquez, 28, tried to steal a car from 46-year-old Donald Gay, a First Transit contract employee who was doing paperwork in the 1200 block of Travis Street at about 7:40 p.m.

Gay yelled for help and a security officer inside the police station heard the screams.

"The motorist was yelling, 'He's trying to steal my car! He's trying to steal my car,'" spokesman John Cannon said.

Investigators said Officer Ha Crawford told Lebron-Vasquez to show his hands at least 15 times, but he refused and charged toward the officer.

"He starts going in the officer's direction down the sidewalk and he's moving his hands all about his body -- in his waistband, in his pockets," Cannon said. "She can't tell if he's going to be reaching for a weapon or not."

Cannon said the officer was left with no choice other than to open fire.

"She backs up and retreats as far as she can go into a moving lane of traffic," Cannon said. "At that time he's about 3 to 5 feet away and she fires one time, in fear of her life. "

Police said Lebron-Vasquez was shot once in the stomach and was taken to Ben Taub Hospital in critical but stable condition. He was in police custody at the hospital.

Crawford is a five-year veteran of the department and has never been involved in a shooting before. She was not injured.

Detectives said they did not find a weapon on Lebron-Vasquez. Charges of robbery by threat are pending against him, police said.