Videos released of deadly Houston Police chase; family of man killed demands full bodycam video

HOUSTON - The family of a man killed following a high-speed police chase earlier this month is demanding full transparency and unedited video footage from the Houston Police Department.

Ibrahim Abousway, also known as "A-B", died on July 1 after a chase involving a stolen vehicle ended in a fatal crash. Now, his grieving family and their attorney say HPD has provided far more questions than answers.

Deadly July 1 chase

The backstory:

According to police, Abousway was one of three men seen in a stolen vehicle on July 1.

Officers allegedly saw the men get into the vehicle and speed off shortly before 4 a.m. from Perthshire Road, near I-10 and Highway 6. Officers reportedly turned on their emergency lights and sirens and went after the vehicle.

Assistant HPD Chief Yassar Bashir noted that the driver of the stolen vehicle, identified as Steven Molina, allegedly turned off all the vehicle lights during the chase. Molina then reportedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to crash and stall on Highway 6.

One police vehicle reportedly tried to avoid the stalled-out vehicle and ended up striking Abousway as he fled. Footage from Officer Raoofi's body camera shows the impact of the crash, followed by the officer trying to perform CPR on a person who was lying near the feeder road of the highway.

Police say paramedics pronounced Abousway deceased at the scene.

Two other men, identified as Molina and Nathan Ramirez, also fled from the vehicle on foot. Officials say the two were taken into police custody and brought to a hospital for potential injuries.

Assistance Chief Bashir said an officer was treated for a hand injury.

Family Demands Full Video Footage

What they're saying:

Family members of Abousway and their legal team traveled to HPD headquarters before the footage was released to the public.

The family expected to view complete footage from the night of the incident. Instead, they say officers only showed them six minutes of edited body camera video pulled from three different cameras—with only one clip containing details regarding Abousway.

"We don't know if HPD even has dashcam footage," said attorney Brandon Scott Riley, who is representing the family.

According to Riley, radio chatter captured on bodycam audio indicated officers believed the suspect vehicle was traveling up to 120 mph. Riley stated that after the initial pursuit ended in a crash, Abousway exited the vehicle on foot.

"AB exited the vehicle and was on foot at the time that the police hit him," Riley said. "He was knocked over the bridge... and pronounced dead at the scene. We were told by the coroner's office that he laid there for six hours. The family was never contacted by the police department."

Heartbreak and Questions Over Pursuit Policies

For Abousway’s father, the lack of immediate answers has compounded an already devastating loss.

"I lost my son," his father shared. "My daughter asks me every day, every morning... ‘Dad, my big brother is not there anymore for me.’ I cannot kiss him, I cannot hold him. Because they wanted to chase a vehicle that was stolen three days ago."

The family maintains that an HPD cruiser struck Abousway, directly leading to his death, and is questioning why police chose to engage in a high-speed chase over a stolen car.

Suspect Charged with Murder

Dig deeper:

According to Harris County court records, one of the individuals detained at the scene, Steven Molina, is facing three felony charges in connection with the crash:

• Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle
• Evading Arrest
• Murder

Molina’s bond was denied.

The other side:

FOX 26 has reached out to the Houston Police Department for clarification on their police pursuit policies, including when pursuits are deemed necessary and when officers are instructed to call them off. HPD has not yet responded to requests for comment.

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