3 Houston police officers shot, suspect now facing multiple charges
HOUSTON - The suspect believed to have shot three Houston Police Department officers following an incident involving a chase and carjacking on Thursday afternoon is in custody following an hours-long standoff.
Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner said officers responded to a residence in the 1500 block of Tralle Street for a threat-to-life call just before 2:45 p.m. Thursday afternoon.
When police arrived, they were given information on the suspect's name and vehicle he was driving.
Officers spotted the vehicle and attempted to conduct a felony traffic stop.
That's when, police said, 31-year-old Roland Caballero, got out of his vehicle and fired several shots at three officers, who returned fire and possibly struck the suspect in the neck area.
Police said Caballero then carjacked a white Mercedes Benz at gunpoint and drove to the 1800 block of Lockwood.
We're told two officers were self-transported and the third officer was taken to the hospital by the Houston Fire Department.
The officers were later identified as Officer N. Gadson, 35, who has four years of service; Officer D. Hayden, 32, who has three years of service; and Officer A. Alvarez, 28, who has two years of service, all worked in northeast patrol. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said one of the officers was shot in the foot, another was shot in the leg, and the other was shot in the arm.
Turner added that he met with the injured officers and some of their family members at the hospital on Thursday evening saying they were in "good spirits" and "talkative."
Other officers then went to Caballero's home and found the stolen vehicle outside.
SWAT Team officers arrived on the scene and attempted to make contact with Caballero, but he ignored them and barricaded himself inside the home, police said.
Authorities said as SWAT officers were on the scene, the suspect fired shots at them and officers returned fire.
After a standoff that lasted several hours, Caballero was taken into custody around 7:45 p.m. with his hands up, according to Houston police.
Caballero did have a gunshot wound to the neck and was taken to the hospital in stable condition, where he currently remains.
RELATED: 'No more excuses,' Houston PD Chief Troy Finner calls for more action against gun violence
VIDEO OF HOUSTON POLICE SHOOTOUT
In a video obtained by FOX 26, you can hear dozens of shots being fired between police and at least one suspect in Midtown.
FOX 26 Isiah Carey spoke with the man who shot the video above of the shootout with Houston police.
RELATED: Houston Police Shootout: Witness shares cell-phone video from intense gunfight
RELATED: Houston Police Shootout: Suspect Roland Caballero has long rap sheet
NEW CELL PHONE VIDEO SHOWS CARJACKING
New cellphone video shows Caballero carjack a woman’s vehicle along McGowen Street.
In the video, the gunman can be seen firing shots at police while forcing the woman out of her car.
"The woman who was carjacked, she’s fine," said HPD Chief Troy Finner on Thursday. "Thank God she’s fine. Just a little traumatized."
As the gunman barricaded himself inside a home off Lockwood, nearby homeowners took cover.
"I felt like I was in the middle of battle or something," said Gabriela Reid. "I took off and hid in my laundry room in-between the washer and dryer. I was hoping a stray bullet wouldn’t hit my house."
Dozens of gunshots were exchanged between Caballero and police for hours.
Neighbors say they don’t remember ever seeing Caballero outside.
"We never noticed anything," said Gayle Pierce. "There was nothing. We never noticed anything."
RESIDENTS REACT TO SHOOTING
Residents in the area of the shooting are shocked following the shooting on Thursday afternoon.
One resident FOX 26 spoke with said he thought he heard 100 shots during the confrontation between police and the suspect.
Another resident witnessed the shooting on Thursday and shared her reactions with FOX 26.
"We heard all of the gunshots," said Samuel Celi, a witness. "There were so many, maybe a hundred, maybe more."
"I saw [the suspect] jump out of the passenger’s side and take off on foot," said Ben Simon. "He had, I don’t even know what kind of gun it was. It looked like a machine gun."
"It was definitely scary," said a witness named Paul. "Definitely attention bringing. Everyone is out. [We’re] not used to this kind of thing."
OFFICIALS REACT TO HOUSTON POLICE SHOOTING
The afternoon shooting of three Houston Police Department officers has local officials reacting to the shooting.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a statement, "Three Houston Police Officers were shot in the line of duty today, and I am relieved to hear their injuries are non-life-threatening. My thoughts and prayers go out to them, and I will be at the hospital soon to check on their recovery, thank them for their service and speak to their families. I ask everyone to pray for the officers who were shot and for every law enforcement officer working on the streets of Houston. We live in dangerous times, and it will take all of us working together to make our city safe."
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said, "I am saddened and absolutely outraged over this latest attack on our police. Gun violence is out of control and weapons of war have NO place on our streets. I'm in touch with Mayor Turner and he has our full support for anything he or HPD needs."
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on Twitter, "Police put their lives on the line for our communities daily. This violence is unacceptable. Shooting at law enforcement officers is beyond concerning. I pray these officers make a full recovery & for the safety of officers across our county and nation."
Texas Governor Greg Abbott also released a statement saying, "The state of Texas grieves at the news of yet another violent attack on our law enforcement officers, this time on three members of the Houston Police Department who were shot this afternoon while serving their community. Violence against the police will never be tolerated in the Lone Star State. The State of Texas will ensure that the City of Houston and the Houston Police Department have the resources and support they need to ensure swift justice for the perpetrator. Please join Cecilia and me in praying for the officers who were shot and injured, as well as for the safety of all law enforcement who serve and protect our communities across the state."