HPD: Off-duty officer shot man armed with knife in Ben Taub Hospital garage
HOUSTON - The Houston Police Department says an off-duty officer shot a man who ran at him with a knife in a Ben Taub Hospital parking garage.
According to HPD Chief Art Acevedo, the officer was working a second job providing armed security for the complex at the time of the shooting early Monday morning.
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The police department says a man went to the hospital around 1:21 a.m. reportedly wanting to check himself in because he was in psychological distress.
According to HPD, the man left, and surveillance video then shows him exiting a stairwell and getting into his truck. Soon after, police say the man is seen cutting himself with a knife, and he then went back into the stairwell of the parking garage.
Chief Acevedo said an unarmed security guard called for assistance after seeing a pool of blood, and the off-duty officer and a DPS trooper began searching for the man.
Around 1:35 a.m., Chief Acevedo said the suspect, who was still armed with a knife, began walking at the officer. The police chief says the officer began backing up, drew his service pistol and ordered the suspect to stop and drop the knife.
“Rather than dropping the knife and stopping, the suspect started running right at the officer. At which point, the officer discharged more than one round, we believe two rounds, striking the suspect,” Chief Acevedo said. “This caused the suspect to go to the ground, lose control of his knife, and almost immediately the suspect popped back up and ran towards our officer’s personal truck.”
Chief Acevedo says the suspect got into the officer’s truck, but he was unable to put it in drive. Police say the officer and the DPS trooper were able to get the suspect on the ground, handcuffed him, and then personnel from Ben Taub Hospital took him inside.
The suspect was taken into surgery. Chief Acevedo said he had gunshot wounds as well as the self-inflicted cuts.
According to Chief Acevedo, the off-duty officer was bitten by the suspect as he tried to get the man out of the truck. No other injuries to law enforcement were reported.
Multiple agencies are investigating the shooting. Chief Acevedo says the officer will be placed on limited duty pending further investigation.