Houston police have confirmed the identity of the suspect who was fatally shot by a Houston Police Department SWAT officer during a shootout.
The suspect was identified by the Texas Attorney General’s Office as Kojuan Miles, 36, a convicted sex offender who was sentenced to more than 20 years behind bars in 2014 for sex crimes against a teenage girl.
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The exchange of gunfire stemmed from an hours-long barricaded standoff inside of a home in the 6000 block of Bellfort Street on Monday.
OUR FIRST REPORT: Armed man killed after firing at SWAT officer during standoff in SE Houston
The suspect exited the home with a weapon described by authorities as a “high-powered rifle.” He was fatally shot after first firing at officers.
Miles’ Criminal Background & Sex Offender Status
Court records show that Miles had prior convictions for sexual offenses.
In 2014, a Harris County jury sentenced him to 23 years in prison for compelling prostitution of an underage girl, and seven years for sexual assault of a child; the victim was 15 years old at the time.
Miles appealed the convictions, but the appeal was denied. Documentation from the appeal provides detailed records of the evidence presented at trial.
State records confirm that Miles was a registered sex offender. At the time of his death. On the Texas Public Sex Offender website, Miles is identified him as a “Moderate” level offender.
The Texas Sex Offender Registry listed his address as 6003 Belarbor Street, the location of Monday’s shooting.
Background on the Shooting
The shooting followed a lengthy standoff, after multiple law enforcement agencies attempted to serve a warrant at Miles’ home.
According to Houston police, officers from the Texas Attorney General’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Harris County Precinct 7 Constable’s Office initially responded to the residence to serve the warrant.
When officers announced themselves, the suspect armed himself with multiple weapons, prompting authorities to move to a position of cover and request the Houston Police Department’s SWAT team.
Negotiators attempted to communicate with the suspect for more than an hour, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
Authorities say the standoff ended around 12:30 p.m. when the suspect opened the door armed with what police described as a high-powered rifle and fired toward officers. An HPD SWAT officer returned fire, fatally striking the suspect.
Houston Fire Department paramedics pronounced the suspect dead at the scene.
The officer who fired at Miles was later identified by HPD as Tactical Operations Division Officer R. Saini, a veteran officer sworn in since January 2010. He was not injured.
As with all officer-involved shootings within city limits, the case is being investigated by HPD’s Special Investigations Unit, the department’s Internal Affairs Division, and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
HPD also announced plans to release officer body-camera footage of the incident, following a standard 30-day review timeline.