Houston crime: Man killed in shooting with Harris County deputies on Flemington Avenue
HOUSTON - A man was shot and killed by deputies outside of a northwest Harris County home that is now being checked for possible booby traps, the sheriff's office says.
The incident unfolded at a home at 15414 Flemington Avenue on Friday morning.
The incident began around 10:50 a.m. when deputies got calls about a vehicle that was abandoned near the center of the road with the doors open.
Update: Man killed in shootout with Harris County deputies
Man killed in shootout with Harris County deputies on Flemington Avenue. According to HCSO, while investigating a crime at 15414 Flemington Avenue, a male inside a residence exited the residence and started shooting at deputies. Deputies returned fire, striking the man. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
"I pulled up, and I heard gun shots like pow pow pow and I ran in the house," said Terry Tate, a neighbor.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez says a deputy arrived about 12 minutes later and was trying to determine what was going on with the vehicle when he heard gunshots coming from a house.
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"All I heard was stay in your house," said Tate. "Oh, I was petrified. I was scared to death. It just shocked me."
The deputy notified the dispatcher, and more units responded to the scene. When they arrived, the sheriff says the deputies heard more shots that were coming out of the house toward the deputies.
"They were shooting out through a window towards our deputies," said Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
The deputies had begun setting up a perimeter when the man came out of the house. The sheriff says the deputies then opened fire and shot the man. The man died at the scene.
"Believe he was still armed at that time. Deputies opened fire at that point and the male was struck. He was pronounced dead at the scene," said Gonzalez.
The sheriff said they were still investigating to determine if the man was armed when he came out of the home.
According to Sheriff Gonzalez, deputies were approaching the house to see if anyone else was in the home that needed help when they spotted wires in the house. The sheriff says they retreated and called in additional personnel due to the possibility that the house could be booby-trapped. Neighboring homes were evacuated. The sheriff said deputies were not able to search the house, but neighbors told them that a man lived there alone.
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"I want to say that we’ve had previous calls for services here at this location. Most have been related to domestic disturbance type calls, as well as mental health related type calls," said Gonzalez.
Harris County Sheriff's Office says the bomb squad finished their search for any explosives and they are now collecting anything found in the house non-threatening.
"I’m still shaken. You know, I’ve never heard gunshots that close before," said Tate.
Police said the shooter was a man about 45-years-old with an open felony warrant.