Suspect killed in officer-involved shooting in southeast Houston
AMATEUR FOOTAGE: Man shot by Houston police officers
A FOX 26 viewer captured the moments leading up to the May 14th shooting of a 30-year-old African American man by Houston police officers on the city's southeast side. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo says the man appeared to be armed as he charged an officer. The 30-year-old man was pronounced dead at Ben Taub Hospital.
HOUSTON - Houston police are investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting at the intersection of Noah St. and Scott St. on the southeast side of the city.
Houston police say an officer was dispatched to reports of a suspicious person brandishing a semi-automatic gun at 6:24 p.m. Thursday.
Houston Police Chief Acevedo says the first officer arrived at 6:28 p.m. and the suspect was shot at 6:32 p.m.
According to police, a 30-year-old black male was sitting on a bus bench and had what appeared to be a gun in his waistband.
Acevedo said the first officer on the scene pulled out his taser and yelled commands at the suspect and the two men sitting next to him on the bus bench. The other two men complied with the officer's orders, but the suspect allegedly did not comply with the order.
Police say the responding officer switched from his taser to his gun once he noticed that the suspect had what appeared to be a weapon.
During a news conference, Acevedo said the suspect continued to move toward the officer while ignoring the officer's commands.
Once other officers arrived on the scene, Acevedo says the suspect closed the distance between himself and the officer and allegedly reached for the officer's gun. That's when police say the officer fired multiple rounds into the suspect.
According to Acevedo, the 30-year-old man called the officer the N-word and kept asking "what you gonna do?"
The suspect was transported to Ben Taub Hospital and was later pronounced dead.
Police said on Friday that the suspect was found to be in possession of a BB gun replica of a 9 mm Beretta.
Acevedo says the entire incident was caught on police body cameras. He also says witnesses claiming the 30-year-old man's hands were raised are lying.
During the news conference, the chief also asserted that there are some people who want to see the city burn by lying. "That man has hands up, I'll go find another job," Acevedo said.
The chief says he talked to the suspect's sister who told him that the suspect was drunk. He also says she told him that the suspect said, "I'm going home." as he left the house.
The officer involved in this shooting is African-American and has been on the force for two years. He is on administrative duty, something Acevedo says is routine in these cases.