Officer shoots man near downtown Houston

HOUSTON – An officer opened fire on a man who was rummaging through a car, investigators said.

Houston police said officer was patrolling a neighborhood near Ruthven Street and Gillette Street about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday.. Victor Senties, a spokesman for the Houston Police Department, said the area is known for high narcotics activity.

During his patrol, police said Officer Shannon Farquhar saw a man standing in middle of the street.  Farquhar got out of his patrol car and noticed another man standing at the corner.  As Farquhar approached them, the second man fled, investigators said.

Investigators said that while chasing that man on foot, Farquhar saw a third man run out from a back alley.  The third man got in a vehicle parked on the side of the street and locked the door.

"The officer approached the vehicle," Senties said.  "The entire time the suspect is making suspicious movements inside the vehicle, as if he's reaching for something.  At that point, the officer moved around to the front of the vehicle to get a tactical advantage and get a better look at the suspect to see what he was doing."

After identifying himself, Farquhar repeatedly told the man to stop what he was doing, officials said. Senties said Farquhar feared for his life and fired his gun at the man in the car. 

At some point during the exchange, the driver struck Farquhar in the leg with the car and managed to drive away, investigators said.

Police said the man left the area in a red compact car.

Investigators said the man went to Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital to be treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. He was identified as 41-year-old Jamal Saints.

Saints has been charged with aggravated assault of a peace officer.

Farquhar was sworn in as an officer in August 1999 and is assigned to the Central Patrol Division.