Houston METRO to continue law enforcement partnership after deadly deputy-involved shooting

HOUSTON - After Wednesday's deadly shooting involving deputies at a Houston METRORail station, METRO tells FOX 26 that there are no "immediate changes" to their partnership with law enforcement.

Deputy-involved METRO shooting

Suspect killed in deputy shooting at transit center

An investigation is underway after a suspect was killed in a shooting involving a deputy at a transit center. FOX 26's Jillian Hartmann has the latest. 

The backstory:

Houston Police said a suspect was shot and killed by two Harris County deputies at the Northline Transit Center along Fulton Street near East Crosstimbers Road.

Officials at the scene said the deputies were arresting a man who allegedly exposed himself on a train when a fight broke out. One of the deputies was stabbed, and both deputies shot at the suspect.

The suspect was later pronounced deceased.

The injured deputy was hospitalized, but was reportedly released that same night.

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Harris County deputy stabbed, suspect killed at north Houston METRORail station, officials say

An indecency suspect with a knife was shot by two deputies, and one of the deputies was stabbed in the arm.

METRONow safety initiative

What's next:

FOX 26 reached out to METRO the following morning about whether Wednesday's shooting would impact METRO's safety initiative that was announced earlier this month. The announcement named the Harris County Sheriff's Office as a key partner for METRO Red Line, including the Northline station where the shooting happened.

METRO sent the following response to that question:

Dig deeper:

Houston METRO Police Chief Ban Tien presented a safety strategy on Jan. 14 for a Public Safety Committee meeting.

Chief Tien acknowledged that there weren't enough resources to put extra law enforcement at every stop, so his plan targets "hotspots" where the resources are most needed.

Mapping data identified North Houston as one of the primary areas that required extra enforcement.

Before the meeting, METRO officials issued a statement with "actionable changes" that are already in place. That includes METRO Police working with Houston Police and Harris County law enforcement for increased METRORail presence during peak hours.

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