Witnesses describe terrifying moments when off-duty officer gunned down inside PlazAmericas Mall
HOUSTON - Chaos unfolded Wednesday afternoon at the PlazAmericas mall in southwest Houston, where an off-duty San Jacinto Pct. 1 Constable Deputy was shot and killed.
BACKGROUND: San Jacinto Pct. 1 Constable deputy killed while working security at PlazAmericas Mall in southwest Houston
During a press conference with Houston Police Chief Troy Finner, says Constable Deputy Neil Adams with San Jacinto County Pct. 1, who was working security at the mall located in the 7500 block of Bellaire Boulevard, when a little before 4 p.m. an altercation ensued with an unidentified suspect.
We're told that suspect was able to get ahold of Constable Deputy Adams' gun and shot him to death.
Officers with the Houston Police Department arrived shortly afterward to assist and found the shooter at the food court. When they approached him, the suspect reportedly was carrying a "sharp-edged weapon" and "came at the officers," Chief Finner said.
That's when the responding officers shot the suspect and rushed him to the hospital, where he later died.
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It had to be a disturbing scene for shoppers at PlazAmericas shopping mall formerly known as Sharpstown Mall.
"We were scared! Everybody was scared; we were trying to hide somewhere," said Danny who asked that we not give his last name.
"The first thing we saw people were running and panicking," he added. "I heard a couple of shots in the building and the people were running outside crushing each other, and they told me somebody was dead in the store.
Wife of fallen San Jacinto Pct. 1 Constable Deputy shares heartbreaking remarks
The wife of San Jacinto Pct. 1 Constable Deputy Neal Adams, addressed the public during a press conference. This comes hours after he was shot and killed by a suspect while working security at PlazAmericas Mall in southwest Houston, asking for prayers and support to other officers.
Krishna Frazier shot cell phone video inside the mall. You can hear gunshots and police everywhere,
"You could hear people pointing to the victim the suspect who had the gun and the officers ran towards him and all you could hear is gunshots going off between the officer and the suspect," Frazier said. "If you look at my video they tried to revive they tried to revive the Officer but he didn't make it."
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The mall is known for being one of the city's biggest jewelry exchange centers. Karamuddin Khokhar, who is a jewelry buyer, says the mall is a target for robbers.
"Three kids came here and tried to break the showcase during the daytime, and they hit the showcase with a hammer," he said. "But they didn't have time to pick the stuff up they just ran away."