Man fatally shot by police in southwest Houston
HOUSTON - A man has died after he was shot by police early Friday morning in southwest Houston.
The shooting occurred near Bissonnet Street and the Southwest Freeway.
SIGN UP FOR FOX 26 HOUSTON EMAIL ALERTS
Just before 1:30 a.m., an officer was traveling north on Gessner Road when he observed two vehicles speeding and heading south on Gessner Road. The officer then followed the vehicles, getting behind a green pickup truck.
The officer attempted to make a traffic stop when they got to the 9400 block of Bissonnet Street. The officer spoke with a man and a woman inside the pickup truck. They claimed they were speeding due to another car that was shooting at a separate vehicle near Gessner and Westpark, and they were trying to get away.
While this interview was taking place, a Black male in his 20’s started walking towards the scene from the Shell gas station and had an exchange with the officers.
According to HPD, the man pulled a gun from his pants and the officer gave commands for him to drop the weapon. Police believe the suspect fired at least one shot at the officers, and that possibly three officers returned fire, hitting the suspect.
Aid was rendered to the suspect at the scene, and he was transported to the hospital, where unfortunately he was pronounced dead. It’s not known how many times the suspect was struck.
It’s not known at this time if the man who was shot was involved at all with the road rage incident that the occupants of the pickup truck claimed happened earlier.
As always in officer-involved shootings, the officers involved will be placed on administrative duty while the investigation is pending. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office and HPD Special Investigations Unit will be looking into this incident.