Whataburger robbery suspect shot 10 to 12 times by off-duty deputy

SPRING, Texas – A suspected robber was hospitalized after he was shot nearly a dozen times by an off-duty deputy in Spring, officials said.

According to investigators, the deputy shot the man Monday  inside a Whataburger on FM 2920. A second person got away, deputies said.

Investigators said two off-duty deputies were out with their families around 2:45 a.m. when armed, masked men wearing hoodies walked into the restaurant. One of the men jumped over the counter, attacked a worker, and tried to get into the register, deputies said. One of the deputies opened fire and shot the man 10 to 12 times, authorities said.

Both of the suspected robbers ran after the shooting, according to deputies. One of them was found outside in the parking lot. The other got away, according to investigators.

"It's something you don't really prepare for, you go to a restaurant to eat after a night out with family and friends it just shows you crime can happen anywhere, and does," Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Thomas Gilliland said.

The two deputies were placed on administrative leave for four days. They are required to undergo medical and psychological evaluations, and will be able to go back to work once they are cleared.

Investigators have not released the names of the deputies.

No witnesses were hurt in the shooting. The deputy was not harmed.

One young man, who was inside the restaurant with his friend, said it all happened so fast, and it was traumatizing.

The wounded man was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital in critical but stable condition. 

It is unknown what charges he will face.

"We never expected this, because me and my friend come here around this time. We came in and we didn't expect any of this," one witness said.