Driver tries to hit Houston officer with car in Sunnyside, police say

HOUSTON – A Houston police officer opened fire Friday after investigators said a driver tried to hit him with his car.

The incident happened just before midnight, while the officer was interviewing three men and a woman in a parking lot on Cullen Boulevard, near Reed Road in Sunnyside, after police received reports of a trespasser at a gas station.

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Police said the driver, James Wright, 46, appeared to have intentionally hit the woman with his car, then ran into the officer's patrol vehicle.

The driver left the parking lot, and the officer ran after him, police said.

That's when police said the driver put the car in reverse and tried to back into the officer, who then shot at the driver.

The woman suffered a broken leg and was taken to an area hospital. Wright was also transported to an area hospital for his injuries.

The officer, whose name has not yet been released, is a two-year veteran of the department and was uninjured in the incident.