Man who fired at officers in north Houston found shot in head, police say

HOUSTON – Houston Police Department officers said a man who was high on cocaine first fired at them and then turned the gun on himself when officers responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle in the 200 block of Van Molan Street around 10:15 a.m. Thursday.

A woman called 911 after she noticed her brother and two other men sitting in a truck in the driveway.

When she approached the truck to talk to them, she said, she noticed a strong chemical odor coming from the truck.

Firefighters arrived at the scene first, but the men refused to communicate with them.

Just before 11 a.m., two police officers in a marked patrol car pulled up next to the truck. Police said one of the men inside immediately started shooting.

VIDEO: Houston police speak after shots fired at officers, man found dead inside pickup truck

Two bullets hit the front of the patrol car. Then, as the officers and firefighters sought cover, Police Department homicide detectives said, the shooter turned the gun on himself.

“Ultimately, he fired one single shot that we believe at this point preliminary appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.” Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said at the scene.

Detectives said they later found drugs in the truck. They said the three men had been smoking cocaine for hours before the confrontation.

“All three individuals had been on dope all night long,” Sgt. Richard Rodriguez, with the Homicide Division, said. “They’d been on a bender since early this morning. They come back here. They continue using dope inside the vehicle, which is probably what the foul odor is.”

After the shots were fired, the two other suspects came out of the truck with their hands up and surrendered.

One of them was splattered with blood. The men were taken into custody, questioned and released Thursday afternoon.

Police have not released their names or identified the man who died.

No officers were injured and they did not fire their weapons.