Child caught in middle of officer-involved shooting

CLOVERLEAF, Texas – A 28-year-old man was shot by two Houston Police Department officers Thursday after authorities said he pointed a gun at them during a traffic stop at a Cloverleaf shopping center.

Police said two children were in a nearby vehicle at the time of the shooting.

What happened

Police said two uniformed officers pulled a vehicle over about 4:15 p.m. on Hollypark Drive near Uvalde Road.

There were two women, two children and a man in the vehicle, officers said.

During the traffic stop, the man got out of the back seat of the vehicle and pointed a gun at the officers, who fired multiple shots at the man, hitting him multiple times, according to police.

The man was taken to an area hospital in critical condition, according to authorities.

Officials said the man was wanted by the Harris County Sheriff's Office on aggravated assault charges.

Who were the officers?

One of the officers is an 11-year veteran of the department and the other is a 12-year veteran.

Both were placed on administrative duties for the time being, authorities said.

Witness recounts shooting

Jason Martinez was nearby at the time of the shooting. He said he heard the shots, but that wasn't the scariest part of the ordeal.

He said his daughter and the mother of his child were two of the passengers in the vehicle that was pulled over.

"It's going to be very emotional, man. I'm going to hug her tighter tonight for sure. Pray.Thank God that my daughter didn't get hit," Martinez said. "I'm very upset at the moment for having my daughter in that situation. That's child endangerment. My daughter was right in front of a man that just got gunned down."

He said he was across the street at the time of the shooting.

"I just heard some gunshots, and I told them: I looked across the street (and they were) shooting some guy on the floor," he said. "My daughter's safety, her well-being, her mental state of mind is what really bothers me the most because I don't know what's wrong with my daughter. What is she thinking?"

What's next

The Harris County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation.


About the Authors:

Reporter, proud Houstonian, U of H alumni, and lover of all the hometown sport teams.