HOUSTON – A traffic stop ended in a shootout and an arrest in southeast Houston.
The incident happened around 3:15 a.m. Thursday on Yellowstone Boulevard near Sherwood Drive, police said.
According to Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, two officers – a rookie and a 10-year veteran – tried to pull over a driver because a headlight was out. That is when the driver made a sharp right turn and, as he was turning, he and a woman believed to be his mother jumped and rolled away from the vehicle.
“Upon tucking and rolling out of the vehicle, the suspect immediately came up and fired multiple rounds at our police officers,” Acevedo said. “…The right, front passenger officer, who is actually training one of our younger officers, returned fire. The suspect then fled on foot.”
Acevedo said police set up a perimeter and after about 15 minutes, were able to locate the man hiding underneath a vehicle. He was taken into custody and is expected to be charged with aggravated assault on a peace officer.
The woman was also detained. Police did not say if she will be taken into custody or charged.
Acevedo said the man is 37 years old and is believed to have been previously charged with possession of marijuana and a recent charge for unlawful carrying of a firearm, which was dismissed in court. When the suspect was put into handcuffs, Acevedo said an officer discovered narcotics they believe to be ecstasy pills.
“We will be looking very carefully at that case to see why it was dismissed,” Acevedo said. “We have fallen in love here is Harris County … with kicking cases when quite frankly, when we review them, they have probable cause and there is absolutely no reason for those cases to be kicked.”
Acevedo said police intend to educate the community about what some of the judges are doing “in terms of putting our officers at risk and the community at risk.”
A total of seven shots were fired, one of the bullets struck an HPD cruiser, but no one was injured. The officer who returned fire will be placed on administrative leave.