HPD officer shot in thigh after responding to protest in northwest Houston

HOUSTON – A Houston police officer was taken to the hospital after being shot in the city’s northwest corner Monday night.

The Houston Police Department said the incident happened in the 6000 block of Hollister Street around 8 p.m.

According to HPD Interim Police Chief Larry Satterwhite, two officers responded to the scene after receiving a call for help at 7:58 p.m.

“The call was about a man assaulting an elderly couple who were also disabled, they may or may not have been his relatives, we’re still trying to determine that,” Satterwhite said.

Police arrived at 8:07 p.m. and were stopped by family members who told them the suspect was standing on the corner of a building and assaulting people.

The officers rounded the corner of the building where the suspect was located. As they approached, someone yelled that the suspect had a gun.

Officers ordered the suspect to drop the weapon, after which he fired several shots at the officers, hitting one in the thigh before surrendering.

Satterwhite said officers did not shoot the suspect. He was taken into custody.

The officer who was shot was taken to the hospital. He has been with the department for 11 years, according to Satterwhite. The other officer has less than a year of service. Both officers will be on administrative leave pending the results of an investigation.

The suspect is a 39-year-old man who has prior arrests for minor offenses. He also may have a criminal record outside of Florida, according to Satterwhite.

Satterwhite said it had been a difficult day for the department, both with the officer shot and another HPD employee who died in Hurricane Beryl.

“We lost one of our own today in the flood waters and he was a great guy, just the salt of the earth, he was showing up to work to help today and lost his life doing that and I had to go talk to his family and share that terrible news with them that no one ever wants to have to share with a family, a wife and children, that they lost their husband, their father, so yeah, a very difficult day,” Satterwhite said.