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Montgomery County deputy shoots suspect
A traffic stop turned into a shoot-out leaves one man recovering in the hospital. FOX 26's Damali Keith reports on what we know so far after a man shot at a Mongomery County deputy constable.
PORTER, Texas - A traffic stop turned shootout leaves one man recovering in the hospital. The gunfire erupted in Montgomery County on Azalea Boulevard at Valley Ranch Parkway.
Investigators say the man shot at a Montgomery County Precinct 4 Deputy Constable. The shooter was a passenger in a vehicle that had been pulled over for a traffic stop at a gas station around 8:20 a.m.
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It turns out the man had outstanding misdemeanor warrants.
The incident ended with the man shot and rushed to the hospital after he ran to a nearby neighborhood, a subdivision next door, and detectives say he again pulled the gun as deputies closed in on him, hiding behind a resident's air conditioning unit.
"The drone led deputies to a backyard where the suspect was hiding," explains Montgomery County Pct. 4 Constable Rowdy Hayden.
"They (deputies) were able to hear commands from the Drone Operator telling them the suspect had a weapon and was basically attempting to waylay them. So there were other deputies from Precinct 4 that were able to scale the fence and saw the suspect when he presented the weapon. That's when they fired," adds Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon.
"I heard all these cop cars. I was in the backyard. I was like, oh gosh I'm running in the house. I didn't know what was going on, but yeah, it's scary. I'm still a little freaked out. I mean, it's right there. My 6-year-old's school, they put it on lockdown and my 6-year-old is there. So, of course, I'm like what's going on?" says Maureen, a resident who lives nearby.
"He's not from Montgomery County and I don't believe he's from Texas. He's shot in the course, the commission of committing several felonies. He hides in a neighborhood that had nothing to do with this. We had to spend time assuring the homeowners this is a great neighborhood," explains District Attorney Ligon, who says surveillance video from the gas station clearly shows the man shooting at the deputy. In the drone footage, Ligon says the man has his gun and appears to be waiting to ambush deputies.
The woman, who was driving the SUV when the man in her passenger seat is said to have opened fire, is cooperating with officers and isn't expected to face charges.
"The Texas Rangers are here also doing a lateral investigation as well as the District Attorney's Office and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office," Hayden said.
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"Every time there's an officer-involved shooting, there's going to be lateral investigations. We do not allow the agency that discharges the weapon to be the primary investigative agency," Ligon said.
The gunman, who's in stable condition, is expected to survive and is likely now facing felony charges. There were kids' car seats in the vehicle, but no children were inside at the time, officials said.