Houston woman hires national civil rights attorney after surviving being shot by deputies in friend's home
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - Nationally renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump is now representing a Houston woman that Harris County deputies shot multiple times Saturday.
RELATED: Deputies mistake woman for a burglar, shoot her multiple times inside her apartment
Paul Grinke, Director of Litigation at Ben Crump Law, says they're not filing a suit at this point, just gathering evidence and information.
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"We would like to work together with the sheriff's department to ensure something like this doesn't happen again," he said.
He says his client, Eboni Pouncy and her friend, entered her [the friend's] apartment through the window after locking themselves out.
A neighbor called 911 thinking it was a break-in and deputies responded, opening fire on Pouncy when she approached the door with a gun.
"Had not raised the gun, had not pointed it, the front door was still closed," said Grinke. "She had not threatened anyone with the gun. She just had it in her hand for protection when the deputies opened fire from the outside of the home and fired into this innocent woman."
According to HCSO, the two deputies involved are on paid administrative leave. One has four years of service, and the other has one year of service.
They say their Homicide Unit is investigating and evidence gathered will be given to the district attorney's office for presentation to an independent grand jury while their Internal Affairs Division is conducting an additional investigation.
The Harris County District Attorney's Office is conducting an independent investigation.
They say they'll release the body camera footage of the shooting within 45 days.
Grinke says it seems there was a "grave failure" on the deputy's part here.
"The question that should be in everyone's mind in the city of Houston and Harris County is: ‘Is it okay for law enforcement to fire shots into an innocent woman who is legally in her own home?’ There has to be a better way to handle this situation," he said.
FOX 26 has requested records regarding any previous uses of force involving the deputies.