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Man Shot, Killed After Police Chase

By Mariza Reyes

POSTED: Wednesday, October 14, 2009

UPDATED: 3:39 pm CDTOctober 14, 2009

HOUSTON -- A north Houston man was shot and killed after leading deputies on a chase through north Houston, dying in front of his family's house, KPRC Local 2 reported Wednesday. However, investigators do not yet know if he died from a gunshot fired by a deputy or if it was self-inflicted.

It started at a Taco Bell on FM 1960 at Cypress Station in north Houston shortly after 1 a.m. when Harris County deputies responded to a weapons disturbance call -- a woman and her child allegedly being chased by her husband with a gun.

Once they arrived, the man fled in his pickup truck and a short chase ensued, officials said.

Another deputy stayed with the wife, who handed him her cell phone with her husband on the line.

"When he was talking to the suspect on the cell phone, (the suspect) was also making threats to hurt himself, the woman and the child," said Christina Garza with Harris County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies and Houston police officers said they chased him a short distance into his neighborhood on Eldon near Imperial Valley, where he lived with his wife and child.

Officers surrounded his vehicle in the driveway and instructed him to get out of it. Investigators said he did not listen.

"The suspect at one point makes a suspicious movement as if he's going to point the weapon at the deputy and fire. The deputy, in concern for his safety, draws his weapon and he fires at least once through the window of the pickup truck, and the suspect is pronounced dead at the scene," said Victor Senties from the Houston Police Department's media relations.

Investigators said the deputy involved in the shooting has patrolled the area for about five years. They said this is the first time he's ever had to fire his gun at a suspect

The man's wife and child were not injured. His name was not released.

Neighbors were shocked.

"We just heard a gunshot, one gunshot, boom," a neighbor said.

Another neighbor said she saw the man argue with his wife.

"When we would to go church or something, we would just see them fighting sometimes or yelling at each other," neighbor Naomi Reyes said.

Investigators said they recovered the man's weapon and will run tests to see if it was fired. The medical examiner's officer will determine whether the deputy fired the fatal shot.