Suspect shot dead in police-involved shooting in southeast Houston

HOUSTON – A suspect is hospitalized following a police-involved shooting in Sunnyside Park Saturday evening, police said.

Authorities said the shooting happened in the 8600 block of Comal Street in southeast Houston around 6 p.m.

SUGGESTED: Escaped Houston inmate captured: Man found after manhunt; 2 other people arrested

Houston Police Department Deputy Chief Megan Howard said officers responded to a shooter call where equipment detected multiple bullets fired into the park.

Additionally, a citizen reported a man and provided a description of a possible suspect in the shooting.

Authorities arrived and found the man in the park parking lot with a gun.

Police said the man exited the vehicle some distance from officers, and officers repeatedly gave verbal commands to the man to drop his weapon.

At one point, authorities said the man raised his gun and that’s when two officers fired, fearing for their lives. Additionally, at one point, the man also raised his gun to the sky.

The man, who appeared injured, still did not comply, according to police. And additional verbal commands were given to drop the weapon.

The man then lay on the ground and the gun remained on the ground. The police then moved forward to try to handcuff him. However, after a brief struggle, they managed to take the man into custody.

FOX 26 Houston is now on the FOX LOCAL app available via Apple TV, Amazon FireTV, Roku, Google Android TV, Samsung TV and Vizio!

Authorities said that while the verbal commands were being given to the suspect, a large crowd was also in the park and officers had to deal with that group as well.

At one point, one of the crowd actually picked up the man’s gun and verbal commands had to be given to that person to drop the gun.

The police also provided first aid to the suspect until paramedics arrived on scene. The man, a black man in his 30s, was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg. He is said to be in stable condition and expected to survive.

The officers involved in the shooting will be placed on administrative duty pending the results of the investigation.

Body camera video of the incident will be released by Houston police within the next 30 days.