Paper: Houston Chronicle

Date: Mon 08/03/2009

ection: B Page: 2 Edition: 3 STAR R.O.

AROUND THE AREA

Man fatally shot by HPD officer

A Houston police officer fatally shot a man in Kingwood Saturday night after the suspect grabbed the patrolman's Taser, pointed it at the officer and threatened to shoot him with it, authorities said.

Officer R. Gardiner, who has worked for the department for seven years and patrols the northeast side, was working an extra job as a security officer at an apartment complex in the 2100 block of Lake Hills, police said. When he was making rounds at 10:15 p.m., he heard a man and woman fighting, said Houston police spokesman Victor Senties.

Gardiner approached the couple, saw the man's hands near the woman's face and gave him verbal commands, which the man ignored.

The officer then tried to take the man into custody. The two got into a physical struggle, and the suspect grabbed the officer's Taser, Senties said. He said the man then pointed the Taser at the officer and said, "You're dead now."

The officer fired at the man more than once, killing him, Senties said. The woman was not injured. The man's identification could be released by the medical examiner later today after an autopsy. The shooting will be investigated by HPD's homicide and internal affairs division, as well as the Harris County District Attorney's Office.