Houston police release body worn camera video following deadly officer-involved shooting
HOUSTON - The Houston Police Department has released body worn camera following a deadly officer-involved shooting about two weeks ago.
The shooting occurred near Bissonnet Street and the Southwest Freeway in Houston on May 21 around 1:30 a.m.
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, later identified as Zaekwon Gullate, started walking across the street towards the scene from the Shell gas station.
Sgt. Ricardo Rivera with the Houston Police Department walked toward Gullate asking if he knew the people being interviewed or if he needed something.
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The body worn video showed Gullate continuing to walk toward the officers with his hands in his pockets and said "shoot me" to the officers.
At that point, Rivera asked Gullate, "why are you saying that?"
That’s when, Rivera drew his weapon and gave Gullate verbal commands to show his hands and told Gullate to put the gun down. Other officers who were also on the scene also told Gullate to put the gun down, according to authorities.
That’s when, Gullate pointed the gun at the officers and fired at them.
Rivera, along with three other officers, fired their weapons at Gullate.
Following the shooting, officers immediately rendered first aid to Gullate after securing the weapon and the scene.
An ambulance arrived on the scene and took Gullate to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting is still in its very early stages, according to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner.
The officers involved in the shooting remain on administrative duty.
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During the news conference, Finner noted the department released the video within 30 days after recommendations were made by a task force to release body worn camera video.
"When there is an officer-involved shooting it’s so tragic for everybody involved, regardless of what happened, so look at it objectively and make sure we have healing in our community and make sure people come to the truth and because different people carry different narratives, that causes problems, that’s what frustrates me, but every person has the right to think what they want to, but we’re gonna do the right thing in Houston upon the mayor’s leadership, releasing this and we’ve been saying this and today, it’s here," said Finner.