HOUSTON – A burglary suspect is in the hospital after police say he tried to steal electronics from an off-duty officer's home.
Taylor Williams had to come by to check on her cousin.
"My grandma told me that he was in trouble so I was trying to come down here to see what was going on," Williams said.
Her cousin is a Houston police officer who investigators say came home to a burglar inside his house.
"He came home to find the suspect with items from his home, leaving his home," Chief Art Acevedo said.
Acevedo says his officer, a 22-year veteran with the force, confronted the suspect.
"Who began to engage the officer in a physical altercation," Acevedo said.
The two were outside and carried on down the road.
"It is a complex scene because it started at the fence line, and there were more than one confrontations with the suspect," Acevedo said.
In the final confrontation, police say the suspect pulled out a weapon called a pickle fork. Acevedo says it's much like a pitch fork.
"He was in the process of attempting to use that as a weapon when our officer discharged some rounds," Acevedo said.
The suspect was shot at least once and taken to the hospital.
Williams says she's proud of her cousin and is happy he's OK, especially with him being an officer.
"It's really nervous. It really gets to the family because everybody is after the police at this time. We just all nervous," Williams said.
That suspect was underwent surgery at Ben Taub Hospital and is listed in critical but stable condition. His name has not been released.