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Houston police shooting: Suspect charged after sergeant injured near Galleria Mall

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Published  May 27, 2025 1:39pm CDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 26 Houston

The Brief

    • Maxie Ray Whitaker was charged with aggravated assault of a peace officer after a Houston police sergeant was injured.
    • Whitaker was shot and injured by the sergeant near the Galleria Mall after driving a vehicle involved in a previous crime against traffic.
    • According to police sergeant R. Marquez became pinned inside the door of the vehicle following an attempt to stop Whitaker.

HOUSTON - A man has been charged following an officer-involved shooting that occurred Sunday evening near the Galleria, where a Houston Police Department sergeant was injured while trying to apprehend a suspect linked to a recent theft.

Houston police announced 42-year-old Maxie Ray Whitaker was charged with aggravated assault of a peace officer. He remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Westheimer Road shooting

The backstory:

Around 5:20 p.m. on Sunday in the 5000 block of Westheimer Road, off-duty HPD officers working an extra job in the area were alerted to a blue Nissan Versa connected to a suspected "jugging" theft.

A Houston police sergeant and two officers located the vehicle and attempted to stop it to make contact with the driver, now believed to be Whitaker.

PREVIOUS STORY: Officer involved shooting near Houston's Galleria Mall, two hospitalized

Police say the suspect did not stop and drove into oncoming traffic. The officers pursued the vehicle and tried to remove the suspect when the vehicle briefly stopped.

Officer involved shooting near Houston's Galleria Mall

Officer involved shooting near Houston's Galleria Mall

One person was shot and two hospitalized after Houston Police responded to a shooting call near the Galleria Mall.

However, Sergeant R. Marquez became pinned inside the door of Whitaker's vehicle after he advanced into traffic, hitting another vehicle, authorities report. Whitaker allegedly continued to try to flee, but hit a second vehicle, pinning Sergeant Marquez even more in the door.

According to Houston police, the sergeant shot his weapon more than once, hitting the suspect.

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The vehicle eventually came to a stop on the opposite side of the road after crossing over the median. 

Whitaker was taken to a local hospital by Houston Fire Department in critical condition. Sergeant Marquez was also hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.

Sergeant Marquez is a 24-year veteran assigned to the Central Patrol Division.

The Source: The Houston Police Department provided an update with charges filed against the suspect, Maxie Ray Whitaker.

Crime and Public SafetyHouston