Shooting, chase leave suspect, 2 others dead

By MIKE GLENN

HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Feb. 5, 2010, 12:06AM

A man suspected of shooting four people, including two fatally, was shot and killed on Thursday after he pointed a gun at a pair of pursuing Harris County sheriff's deputies, authorities said.

The case began about 4:15 p.m. when deputies were sent to investigate reports of gunfire at a home in the 14100 block of Landfair in northeast Harris County. Upon arrival, deputies found two people dead, said Christina Garza, a spokeswoman for the Harris County Sheriff's Department.

Sheriff's officials said a male and a female were killed in the house but offered no other information. The two others were taken to Ben Taub General Hospital. Their conditions were not known later Thursday.

Detectives have not determined why the man suddenly began shooting at the home or whether he knew anyone who lived there.

“We have no motive yet for the original shooting. That's still under investigation,” Garza said.

The suspect, 18, raced away from the house in a white Toyota 4-Runner that belonged to one of the victims. Investigators said they believe he was acting alone.

“Deputies put out a description of that vehicle (and) one of our deputies spotted it,” said Garza, who did not know who provided the description.

The deputy first saw the Toyota 4-Runner shortly before 5 p.m. on Aldine Mail Road. The chase ended five minutes later when the SUV slammed into a light pole and careened into a ditch along the 3000 block of Bertrand about four miles from the house where the bodies were found.

Two deputies fire

Sheriff's officials said the driver had a gun in his hand when he crawled out of the heavily damaged vehicle and confronted the deputy.

“He pointed the weapon at our deputy. Our deputy, fearing for his life, fired his weapon,” Garza said.

Another deputy who had arrived as backup also fired at the driver. Sheriff's officials said both deputies fired multiple times, hitting the suspect.

The driver was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:39 p.m., Garza said.

None of the deputies was injured, she said.

Deputies stretched crime-scene tape around the section of Bertrand where the Toyota lay wedged into the ditch.

Garza said one of the deputies who fired at the man had been with the department for seven years, but she did not have any background information on the other deputy.

Detectives with the sheriff's homicide and internal affairs division, along with the Harris County district attorney's office, will investigate the officer-involved shooting, a standard practice.

mike.glenn@chron.com