Houston police officer finds man dead in backseat of patrol vehicle

Police lights are pictured in an undated file image.

Houston police are investigating after a man was found dead in the backseat of a patrol vehicle Saturday afternoon.

Police said officers responded to the department's mental health division at 150 North Chenevert St. around 2:30 p.m. Saturday after an officer in the division found a man dead in the backseat of his patrol vehicle when he was beginning his shift.

Officials said they are unsure how the man got into the vehicle but believe he was looking for shelter from the weather.

The man's identity and cause of death are under investigation by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.